Holcomb's Potato Song

Holcomb Bascomb is an average young man with few options. Born on a farm in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, he struggled socially and academically, and finds himself sweeping the floors of the town hardware store and washing dishes at the local diner. 

When Grace Illingwood sets off on a search for the father she never knew, she enlists Holcomb’s help. Holcomb, who has a hopeless crush on her mother, Agnes, immerses himself in Grace’s search. As the search deepens, the townspeople realize that they have underestimated this quiet, gentle man. 

As more townspeople turn to him. Holcomb suddenly finds himself entangled in the personal dramas of this rural community with more than its share of secrets—more than he can handle. He’s also falling for the plain and insightful girl who leads him to believe in himself. Weaving through the present and the past, readers witness the coming-of-age of a man who has more self-confidence and potential than he realizes. 

In a style reminiscent of J.D. Salinger, Holcomb’s Potato Song is the story of a man’s sexual and emotional awakening, and a reminder that, with genuine effort to understand others, we all, ultimately, matter.