Thar She Blows

by Susan Emshwiller, Gabrielle de Cuir (narrator)

Caught in a redundant housewife existence, Ann never leaves her beige suburban home, her schlubby do-nothing son Brian is directionless after graduating high-school, and it looks like nothing will ever change. But when Brian is swallowed by a whale and Ann receives a garbled phone call from him, she is determined to find that monstrous beast and rescue her son. Experts, her ex, the press—everyone thinks she’s crazy—but she’s committed to her worthy quest. Both Brian and Ann battle their skeptical inner voices in an inspiring journey of self-discovery, reinvention, survival, and sacrifice. As mother and son face epic adventures, they encounter unlikely allies from across the globe and might just find each other. Yet the ultimate danger is closing in…
Devilishly funny, heartbreaking, thrilling, this epic whale-of-a-tale combines absurdist magical realism with intimate family dynamics.

Genres: Fiction

Audio CD

Published July 16, 2024

Reviews

[Nicholas George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a book exceeding my expectations! First, a disclaimer: I know the author from a writing group we both belonged to. I know she's an excellent writer. But when I saw this book and its premise, I thought, really? A book about a single mother whose son gets swallowed by a whale? I know Susan, but for the first fifty pages I wondered how she was going to extend the premise over an entire novel. Then I saw how deftly she extended and broadened the plot line to include other (fascinating) characters, and addressed other themes. By the halfway point I was completely hooked. By the end I was astounded. What a great, unusual story, perfectly done.

[Holly]

A rollicking tale. Brava!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Thar She Blows: a novel
Author: Susan Emshwiller

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 5/5

Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
14 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Such a fun story with the most excellent premise – a mother is determined to save her son who’s been swallowed by a whale!!! As much a family drama, as a comical adventure. Loved it!” Female reader, aged 55
“Plenty of suspense, plenty of BIG moments, plenty of laugh-out-loud dialogue, I enjoyed this immensely. Congrats to the author on coming up with such a highly original tale.” Female reader, aged 48
“It’s amazing how the author made such a totally ridiculous notion (son living in whale and mum trying to rescue him) so utterly so credible. I loved getting to know the characters, particularly Ann. A surprisingly thought-provoking story, and charming in its own way.” Female reader, aged 67
“I will be hunting out other books by this author. What a wonderful story this is!” Female reader, aged 71

To Sum It Up:
‘Wildly original, wildly funny and totally unputdownable! A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Mimi Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember when you used to get lost in a book, and forget to stop to eat? THAR SHE BLOWS is that book. Susan Emshwiller, combining her gifts for screenwriting, improvisational carpentry and brilliant botanical grafting, has crafted a romp of a book about Ann, a woman defined by the color beige, and her 19-year-old, screen-addicted son Brian. Maybe you know someone like this? Maybe sometimes you even feel like you are someone like this? Well, hold on to your oilskin hat, because when Brian is unexpectedly swallowed by a whale (Does anyone ever actually expect to be swallowed by a while?), Ann escapes both her suburban home and her senses in a valiant and delightful journey to rescue him. Along the way we meet her brother Tobey and his filmmaker husband Arthur in San Francisco, an Alaskan State Trooper on a mission, and a misguided father who has kidnapped his daughter along with her dog. Make your meals in advance, because once you start reading THAR SHE BLOWS, you’re going to want to keep going straight to the end!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this book five stars, but damn! I wish I could give it ten! This novel is absolutely amazing! It's the story of how a teenage boy in Southern California gets swallowed by a whale, how his mother tries to find him, and of the network of people touched by these events: a father on the run with his young daughter (read the novel to get the details on that), an Alaska State Trooper, and various Norwegians. If this sounds offbeat, well, it is. Truly! It is weird in all the right ways! it is an amazing adventure: scary, thrilling, funny, and touching, filled with fascinating characters. An unbelievably wonderful novel!

[Anne Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOST SLEEP WITH THIS ONE!!
A thrilling quirky dry-witted account of one woman’s search for her son swallowed by a whale blossoms into a search for herself. The story’s descriptive details struck that sweet spot to make it believable to readers. I never doubted the possibility of life inside a whale. Funny, tender, and uplifting, this journey of discovery is a nonstop, cover-to-cover read, flipping one page after the other hoping, cheering, and breathlessly wondering the final outcome for mother and son in this suspenseful tale of rescue. Everyone should read this book! Everyone.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Much like Brian and his Home, this story sucked me right in, held me completely enthralled, tossed me through the entire range of human emotions and had me reluctantly saying goodbye - wishing it could continue but knowing it had to end. Ikke vent!