Sissy Hankshaw

Sissy Hankshaw is the beautiful and headstrong protagonist of Tom Robbins' novel. Sissy is born with abnormally large thumbs. While her family frets about the genetic source of the thumbs, Sissy takes it in stride and loves her thumbs. Throughout her childhood, the thumbs set her apart from the other girls in South Richmond, VA. The thumbs make the girl from the trailer park stand out. Sissy quickly discovers the power of her thumbs. They allow her the freedom to come and go as she pleases. She embraces this freedom through hitchhiking, which causes a lot of trouble. She is constantly arrested but also envied by others. Sissy finally uses hitchhiking to get her out of Richmond and travels throughout the United States. Once in New York, she meets both her husband, Julian, and the Countess. Sissy becomes a model for the Countess who insists she go...