A Solitary Blue

A Solitary Blue (1983) is a novel by Cynthia Voigt. It was a Newbery Honor book in 1984. It takes place before, during and after the events described in Dicey's Song, Voigt's 1983 Newbery Medal winner and Come a Stranger. Instead of revolving around the Tillermans, however, it revolves around Jeff Greene, a boy who struggles to accept his mother for who she is.

After many years without any contact from his mother, Melody, following Jeff's sixth grade year, she asks him to visit her in her family's home in Charleston, South Carolina for the summer. He connects with her and has a wonderful time, bringing joy back in his life. After his visit, he writes letters to Melody on the first day of each month, even though she never writes back. For Christmas, he sends Melody a beautiful scarf but receives nothing from her in return. Jeff convinces himself to excuse Melody for ignoring him, so he can keep loving her.

On his second summer visit one year later, Melody doesn't spend much time with Jeff. She has a boyfriend named Max, whom she spends all her time with instead, and she is never home for more than one day. Jeff's visit with his mother is very different from his previous one, and by the end of it, Jeff is forced to see that Melody doesn't really care about him at all. Frustrated, he buys a boat and goes to a solitary, remote island. There he sees a blue heron and relates it to his own life. When Jeff returns to Madison, he locks himself in his "tower room", a place where he can escape from Melody's hate. He is not socially active, does not talk to anyone, or express his feelings in any way. This is because he is heartbroken and withdrawn.

Eventually, Jeff begins to fail his classes, doesn't open up to anyone about his feelings, and eventually skips classes to ride a local amusement park ride. He becomes so withdrawn, Horace is convinced he is on drugs, but he finds out the truth and decides to make a change for Jeff's good. The two move to a log cabin located near Crisfield. Jeff loves the cabin, mainly because he had spotted a blue heron on the property.

Repeating his eighth grade year, Jeff makes two good friends, Phil and Andy, gets his life back on track, takes an interest in schoolwork, and learns how to play the guitar. Also, Jeff learns to accept himself and begins to build a real relationship with his father.

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