Thar She Blows by Susan Emshwiller

A wickedly smart story of a mother losing patience and a son finding direction in the most unusual way possible, Thar She Blows by Susan Emshwiller is a deep dive into the tenderness and tension of mothers and sons. Pushing the literary boundaries of magical realism, this one-of-a-kind novel is a bizarre tale of losing, seeking, and finding…inside the belly of a whale. The tongue-in-cheek prose offsets the serious issues at hand, while the premise of a booze cruise gone ridiculously awry teeters perfectly on the brink of allegory, parable, and farce. With whip-smart characters, exceptional comedic timing, and high emotional stakes, this book is a surprising read throughout, balancing an outlandish premise with relatable insight.