Strong for Potatoes is the resonant story of the difficult youth of Blue Willoughby, a remarkable girl growing up in eastern Maine. In a life beset by tragedy, beginning with the death of her twin sister Berry only days after their birth, Blue must discover on her own what strength she needs to survive. Blue’s true rock of strength is her grandfather, a full-blooded Passama- quoddy Indian who passes on to Blue the ways of his ancestors, including the art of weaving baskets from ash and sweet grass--knowledge that Blue will need to find a sense of her own true self amid the chaos of her adolescence.

Strong for Potatoes is a rich, evocative literary debut by a gifted writer and teller of the most rewarding kind of story: beautifully crafted, authentic, moving, and ultimately uplifting.