What do you think?
Rate this book
Wide Blue Yonder
From National Book Award-finalist Jean Thompson comes a compelling, highly charged novel about a family ruled by the weather, the drastic changes that hit their atmosphere, and a midwestern town where chaos doesn't reign -- it pours.
Something big is headed for Springfield, Illinois, a place where weather of all kinds -- climatic, emotional, and even metaphysical -- tends to come in extremes. It is the summer of 1999, and through the long months of blazing heat and fearsome tempests, a quirky quartet of locals will try to ride out the stormy season, each in their own way.
Uncle Harvey believes he is the embodiment of the Weather Channel's "Local Forecast," even though all meteorological evidence points to the contrary. His niece, Josie, is fixed with a different predicament -- she's young and pretty, with nowhere to go except into deep trouble. Her mother, Elaine, lives under a façade of cheerful efficiency, desperately masking a far more urgent quest. And all of them are caught in the path of the loner Rolando -- a human cyclone from the West, fueled by a boundless rage and determined to make Springfield the focal point of his wrath.
Something big is headed for Springfield, Illinois, a place where weather of all kinds -- climatic, emotional, and even metaphysical -- tends to come in extremes. It is the summer of 1999, and through the long months of blazing heat and fearsome tempests, a quirky quartet of locals will try to ride out the stormy season, each in their own way.
Uncle Harvey believes he is the embodiment of the Weather Channel's "Local Forecast," even though all meteorological evidence points to the contrary. His niece, Josie, is fixed with a different predicament -- she's young and pretty, with nowhere to go except into deep trouble. Her mother, Elaine, lives under a façade of cheerful efficiency, desperately masking a far more urgent quest. And all of them are caught in the path of the loner Rolando -- a human cyclone from the West, fueled by a boundless rage and determined to make Springfield the focal point of his wrath.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Jean Thompson
51 books286 followersJean Thompson is a New York Times bestselling author and her new novel,
The Humanity Project
will be published by Blue Rider Press on April 23, 2013.
Thompson is also the author of the novel The Year We Left Home, the acclaimed short fiction collections Do Not Deny Me, and Throw Like a Girl as well as the novel City Boy; the short story collection Who Do You Love, and she is a 1999 National Book Award finalist for fiction as well as and the novel Wide Blue Yonder, a New York Times Notable Book and Chicago Tribune Best Fiction selection for 2002.
Her short fiction has been published in many magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. Jean's work has been praised by Elle Magazine as "bracing and wildly intelligent writing that explores the nature of love in all its hidden and manifest dimensions."
Jean's other books include the short story collections The Gasoline Wars and Little Face, and the novels My Wisdom and The Woman Driver.
Jean has been the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, among other accolades, and taught creative writing at the University of Illinois--Champaign/ Urbana, Reed College, Northwestern University, and many other colleges and universities.
Thompson is also the author of the novel The Year We Left Home, the acclaimed short fiction collections Do Not Deny Me, and Throw Like a Girl as well as the novel City Boy; the short story collection Who Do You Love, and she is a 1999 National Book Award finalist for fiction as well as and the novel Wide Blue Yonder, a New York Times Notable Book and Chicago Tribune Best Fiction selection for 2002.
Her short fiction has been published in many magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. Jean's work has been praised by Elle Magazine as "bracing and wildly intelligent writing that explores the nature of love in all its hidden and manifest dimensions."
Jean's other books include the short story collections The Gasoline Wars and Little Face, and the novels My Wisdom and The Woman Driver.
Jean has been the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, among other accolades, and taught creative writing at the University of Illinois--Champaign/ Urbana, Reed College, Northwestern University, and many other colleges and universities.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 21, 2023
“Wide Blue Yonder”, is another pitch-perfect, character-driven, witty, and strange novel by Jean Thompson whose oeuvre I’ve been reading through one wonderful story at a time.
Thompson’s gift is her ability to create wonderfully vivid, compelling, and real characters.
Here we have old Harvey who is mentally unstable and who watches The Weather Channel exclusively and compulsively. Elaine, who was once married to Harvey’s nephew, is the mother of 17-year-old Josie. Elaine is trying to do right by both Harvey and Josie. But in this hot summer of 1999 in Springfield, IL, Josie isn’t making very rational decisions, and Harvey may be going blind.
Then the storm comes in the form of Rolando and I couldn’t put this book down even if I’d been struck by lightning!
On to the next Jean Thompson on my To Be Read stack - I can’t wait!
Thompson’s gift is her ability to create wonderfully vivid, compelling, and real characters.
Here we have old Harvey who is mentally unstable and who watches The Weather Channel exclusively and compulsively. Elaine, who was once married to Harvey’s nephew, is the mother of 17-year-old Josie. Elaine is trying to do right by both Harvey and Josie. But in this hot summer of 1999 in Springfield, IL, Josie isn’t making very rational decisions, and Harvey may be going blind.
Then the storm comes in the form of Rolando and I couldn’t put this book down even if I’d been struck by lightning!
On to the next Jean Thompson on my To Be Read stack - I can’t wait!
March 2, 2025
bamboozled into enjoying a suburban coming of age story
July 23, 2011
Eh. I read this after having read and thoroughly enjoyed Jean Thompson's The Year We Left Home. The characters in that novel were very engaging and interesting. One of the characters in Wide Blue Yonder -- Rolando -- freaked me out. I did not like being in his brain. But, that said, hats off to Thompson for writing inside the mind of a crazy, rage-fueled, hopped-up-on-drugs character.
The character of Josie I didn't quite get. She was supposedly an intelligient girl, but she makes some pretty stupid choices throughout the novel. Can't say I totally understood what about her mother pissed her off so much.
Other characters -- Uncle Harvey (aka Local Forecast) who is obsessed with the weather channel; Elaine, Josie's mother who owns a successful textiles business with fabrics and items imported from India; and some dim-witted, but gorgeous local cop...
The character of Josie I didn't quite get. She was supposedly an intelligient girl, but she makes some pretty stupid choices throughout the novel. Can't say I totally understood what about her mother pissed her off so much.
Other characters -- Uncle Harvey (aka Local Forecast) who is obsessed with the weather channel; Elaine, Josie's mother who owns a successful textiles business with fabrics and items imported from India; and some dim-witted, but gorgeous local cop...
November 8, 2007
These characters are quirky enough to strain credibility. There is something so endearing about the way they stretch toward each other and try ever so hard to see past the crazy.
Read
November 11, 2008I love her writing. I want to write like her.
January 9, 2013
The writer is probably on the way to producing a readable masterpiece!
July 27, 2021
Harvey does more than watch the Weather Channel -- he IS the Weather Channel. A senior, with issues, and horrible cataracts, he lives alone. Which is part of the problem.
Frank and Elaine are now divorced, but Elaine likes Frank's Uncle Harvey. She visits and helps him out when she can. Elaine owns her own business and all she wants is to be happy. Josie is her teenage daughter. Josie is typical...full of drama, angst, bored, and full of disdain for her mom. She schleps through her days until one night when she thinks she meets the man of her dreams.
Enter into the picture of typical life in Springfield, Illinois, Rolando, from LA. He is full of hate, messed up, and angry at the entire world. He is currently on a collision course across the USA towards the capital of Illinois.
And then.....
Jean Thompson can't write a bad book in my opinion. I have loved everything she has written and am looking forward to reading all of her works. She sure knows people!
This is a fun, exciting, witty, sometimes sad little book that I loved. I can certainly highly recommend this to you!
Frank and Elaine are now divorced, but Elaine likes Frank's Uncle Harvey. She visits and helps him out when she can. Elaine owns her own business and all she wants is to be happy. Josie is her teenage daughter. Josie is typical...full of drama, angst, bored, and full of disdain for her mom. She schleps through her days until one night when she thinks she meets the man of her dreams.
Enter into the picture of typical life in Springfield, Illinois, Rolando, from LA. He is full of hate, messed up, and angry at the entire world. He is currently on a collision course across the USA towards the capital of Illinois.
And then.....
Jean Thompson can't write a bad book in my opinion. I have loved everything she has written and am looking forward to reading all of her works. She sure knows people!
This is a fun, exciting, witty, sometimes sad little book that I loved. I can certainly highly recommend this to you!
September 13, 2020
This book was entertaining enough. There wasn't a very developed plot line, but the way that the characters were represented as weather and told the story from their own point of view was interesting. I think it takes a very talented author to be able to tell a story from various perspectives like this.
August 23, 2018
Couldn't take it seriously.
January 15, 2021
set in Springfield, IL
March 1, 2017
There are fine lines between humour and horror in Thompson's novel, and a deep thirst for meaning in a superficial world. Below Springfield's sunny surface ("the place the weather lived"), lurks the sense that something ominous is about to happen; God's judgement descending in the form of an earthquake, hurricane or flood. We wait for a climactic event that will eventually force all characters together, not just literally but emotionally. The way Thompson gets into the deeper layers of her characters is masterful, and the naked confrontation at the novel's end somehow manages to be simultaneously shocking, touching and downright hilarious.
October 16, 2014
Jean Thompson approaches "Wide Blue Yonder" the way she has "The Year We Left Home" and "The Humanity Project" with multiple points of view.
There’s Josie, a lovesick teenager girl; her mother Elaine suffering from mid-life crisis; great uncle Harvey, a severe mental breakdown leaving him mentally challenged and obsessed with the Weather Network; and the marginalized Rolando, a misfit, a loner, petty criminal and a blossoming schizophrenic.
The story develops from these disparate personalities, examining their various stages and status in life and the tension builds as these lives converge towards the story’s climax.
Thompson’s characterization is superb. She creates characters that stay with you. They become like acquaintances and they’re remembered like someone you’ve known.
What really makes this novel remarkable is her examination of mental illness from the benign Uncle Harvey to the ferocious Rolando. She doesn’t describe how they appear to others, but how the world appears from the point of view of those afflicted.
The challenge with developing a story with multiple points of view is bringing it all together so the ending seems inevitable. "Wide Blue Yonder’s" ending, with the best-case scenario being played out for all those involved, smacked of Pollyannaism.
Still, this book is more than a worthwhile read for all its positive attributes.
There’s Josie, a lovesick teenager girl; her mother Elaine suffering from mid-life crisis; great uncle Harvey, a severe mental breakdown leaving him mentally challenged and obsessed with the Weather Network; and the marginalized Rolando, a misfit, a loner, petty criminal and a blossoming schizophrenic.
The story develops from these disparate personalities, examining their various stages and status in life and the tension builds as these lives converge towards the story’s climax.
Thompson’s characterization is superb. She creates characters that stay with you. They become like acquaintances and they’re remembered like someone you’ve known.
What really makes this novel remarkable is her examination of mental illness from the benign Uncle Harvey to the ferocious Rolando. She doesn’t describe how they appear to others, but how the world appears from the point of view of those afflicted.
The challenge with developing a story with multiple points of view is bringing it all together so the ending seems inevitable. "Wide Blue Yonder’s" ending, with the best-case scenario being played out for all those involved, smacked of Pollyannaism.
Still, this book is more than a worthwhile read for all its positive attributes.
June 29, 2011
There was so much to enjoy in this novel. Getting into the minds of not one but two mentally challenged individuals deserves a medal in and of itself. But a teenager? Thompson does even better with Josie. Elaine isn't as clearly defined for me. She's the worried mother, the woman in transition, and while I so get that time of life too well, nothing about her is as remarkable as the other characters.
Yet, of course, do we need anyone else as remarkable? Probably after Harvey, no one else is needed. And to me, those were the parts that I began to skim through. I was not interested in driving across country with "Porque," even when he was himself again and on the bus back to LA. The fact that his bloody adventure ends without retribution was an issue for me--as if the writer was letting him off the hook for absolutely no good reason at all. I also wasn't a big fan of reading one aspect of the plot and then going backward and reading to that same part again, even if it was from another POV.
However, I read the whole novel. And wanted to. She's very talented, and there was so much to enjoy.
Yet, of course, do we need anyone else as remarkable? Probably after Harvey, no one else is needed. And to me, those were the parts that I began to skim through. I was not interested in driving across country with "Porque," even when he was himself again and on the bus back to LA. The fact that his bloody adventure ends without retribution was an issue for me--as if the writer was letting him off the hook for absolutely no good reason at all. I also wasn't a big fan of reading one aspect of the plot and then going backward and reading to that same part again, even if it was from another POV.
However, I read the whole novel. And wanted to. She's very talented, and there was so much to enjoy.
November 16, 2012
I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the connection she made between emotions and weather - although stated right away, it did take me a time to get this. The teen-ager, Josie, was great, especially her sex scenes and thoughts. Very true and very unusual to read the honest truth about sex crazy female teen age characters, although teenage men/boys and their sex fixations are done to death. The mother's concerns about Josie were honest and well-done. This woman, Jean Thompson, is an excellent writer. I can't imagine why I never heard of her before. I have also bought a book of short stories by her "Throws Like A Girl" which I am still reading and another novel, "The Year I Left Home" which I am also still reading.
I got Ms. Thompson's name from a wonderful book for writers "The Scene Book" by Sandra Scofield. Thompson was listed as a writer whose scenes we should study -- and Scofield was oh so right.
I got Ms. Thompson's name from a wonderful book for writers "The Scene Book" by Sandra Scofield. Thompson was listed as a writer whose scenes we should study -- and Scofield was oh so right.
December 10, 2008
I enjoyed this, with reservations. Four characters trade their points of view in this novel, and the two male characters were both operating in a diminished capacity, but not necessarily believable ones. The story lines didn't come together smoothly, and it wasn't credible, anyway. It did get me to laugh aloud -- once. The female characters, mother and daughter, had depth and were interesting and likeable. I think I'd enjoy Jean Thompson's writing when she wasn't trying so hard. I did like this:
"One more bodily failure. She was coming apart like a cheap doll. Who needed sex when you had such a fascinating new hobby, dying by pieces?"
and
"a longing that felt like a migraine of the heart."
"One more bodily failure. She was coming apart like a cheap doll. Who needed sex when you had such a fascinating new hobby, dying by pieces?"
and
"a longing that felt like a migraine of the heart."
July 26, 2011
I loved this book. The characters are finely drawn and very compelling. The story of Josie and how she relates to her family - crazy uncle, over-bearing (in her mind) mother, dis-interested dad - all feels very true. This book tells about the struggles a teen age girl goes through as she tries to find her place in the world. It gives us a perspective from other characters as well. I found the character of her mother particularly true. I fell in love with Josie, even while I totally appreciated that she made her mother crazy.
February 12, 2010
Centering around a man who is obsessed with the weather channel and calls himself "Local Forecast," this book explores the territory of fractured families, self-delusion, young love, extreme violence, and other sundry emotional storms while the metaphorical and real weather creates both a setting and emotional tone. Despite the negative themes, there is still humor and some wry hope. I think Thompson writes better short stories than novels, however.
June 19, 2010
There's some beautiful writing in this, but the characters and plot don't hold together. I like the notion of a dude watching the weather channel obsessively, pretty much in any story, but unfortunately this one is also mentally disabled due to sexual abuse in a thoroughly implausible way. There's a lot of grim negativity in the book, but at the same time, the ending is absolute fairy dust, in the ending to a bad musical way.
June 18, 2007
I'm a weather dork, so I had to pick this up since it's in part, about a guy who watches the weather channel non stop and can tell you the forcast any time. Granted, he's off his rocker. But I can relate anyway. About half way through i did get really hooked as the 4 characters stories started to merge. Enjoyable.
August 2, 2008
I've had this book for years, and only just now got around to reading it. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Compulsively readable - the characters are decidedly quirky - it shouldn't work, but it does.
Barrelled through all 360 pages in two sittings, so that should tell you something.
I highly recommend it.
Barrelled through all 360 pages in two sittings, so that should tell you something.
I highly recommend it.
June 16, 2014
This whole book was about weather—actual weather and the symbolic, emotional kind—so you'd think the perfect storm at the climax would not have really taken me by surprise. But it did, because I was too completely absorbed in the interesting plights of the totally believable characters to even think of this as a Novel with a Plot that was Heading Somewhere. This is some seriously great writing.
May 8, 2009
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and how the characters really grew on you. Each had a distinct voice and interesting progression. The novel really picked up momentum as it moved along, making the final 150 pages something I barrelled through in two days
June 25, 2011
I loved the characters and how the author wove them together. The book was a great read, perhaps a bit of a rush to get to a happy ever after ending, a bit of a disappointing ending for a story filled with human passion, emotion and heart, but well worth the journey.
February 22, 2014
This book was also picked by me to fulfill a reading challenge for my local library. I enjoyed this one too. The characters were all very interesting and the story had a lot to keep me wondering. I am now interested in reading more by this author.
November 5, 2013
Great book. Love this author. Several times wanting to copy out paragraphs for the wisdom and turn of phrase. Story not at all predictable, characters engaging, insight into their mindsets captivating.
June 24, 2015
3.5 rounded up
This book was a little inconsistent. I almost stopped reading it in the 1st chapter but hung on and was VERY glad I did, about 1/3 of the way through, I LOVED it, and then it tapered off a bit and the end I felt was a bit artificial.
This book was a little inconsistent. I almost stopped reading it in the 1st chapter but hung on and was VERY glad I did, about 1/3 of the way through, I LOVED it, and then it tapered off a bit and the end I felt was a bit artificial.
March 25, 2016
I liked this although I never felt like the narrative strands quite came together in a way that was believable. Still, I find Thompson fresh and funny and will probably continue to seek out her work.
August 7, 2008
really fun book, especially if you're familiar with southern illinois.
Want to read
June 22, 20101st edition, signed by author; r.m. short black line bottom edge
June 6, 2011
I'm kind of on a Jean Thompson kick and this one didn't disappoint. Interesting and quirky characters and a well written story. I like the way she puts together a book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews