Bryn Caputo dreams of being a graphic designer. The problem? She isn’t confident enough in her abilities to tell her parents or friends. Instead, she seeks honest feedback by using her skills to help her peers as well as at her aunt’s bakery, which specializes in Setback Cakes. Setback Cakes, a bakery specialty, encourage accepting setbacks and not giving up, further motivating Bryn to chase her dreams.
Samantha Picaro is the author of Limitless Roads Cafe and Recipe for Confidence. We spoke to Picaro about how her autistic identity informs her writing, the determined heroines she creates, and how she expertly balances comedy and drama. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Something I love is that your book deals with “toxic achievement culture.” I think a lot of folks don’t quite know what that is. Could you tell us more about it and how your book tackles it?
We all see it, but some people probably haven’t heard the phrase toxic achievement culture. Our society puts a lot of pressure on individuals to succeed. A great example is college admissions, when students stress themselves out and feel like failures if they’re not perfect or don’t get into a certain college. It can also be feeling like a failure if a business doesn’t work out or if you drop out of school for whatever reason.
The book tackles this not only through the main character Kinsey in Limitless Roads Cafe, but other characters. The main character’s parents still struggle years later with the failure of their restaurant. The main character feels like she hasn’t accomplished a lot and aims to “fix” that through creating a graphic design portfolio and working at her aunt’s bakery to prove to her parents that she can juggle school and work. Along the way, each character comes to realize that no path is straightforward or perfect, and it’s okay for plans to change.
I’m charmed by the Setback Cakes. In your book, these are cakes that encourage setbacks and not giving up. What got you to come up with this concept?
My own personal setbacks inspired me, as well as what I talked about in question one. It’s okay to feel sad or frustrated about setbacks, but it’s also important not to be too hard on yourself. I’m guilty of it, especially as I feel I “failed a lot” growing up, whether it was being held back a grade or failing to keep friendships. I’m still working on it and I hope readers can take away the important messages about setbacks and confidence in this book.
You have a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Social Work. Do you find yourself putting a lot of your social work knowledge into your story?
Absolutely, especially when it comes to addressing ableism but also acknowledging the privileges the main character has such as white privilege. My social work classes covered stress, of course, as part of discussing mental health, and stress is part of toxic achievement culture.
What got you into writing?
The cliché answer is a love of reading. Another answer is seeing how many people self-publish, and their joy and excitement inspired me to self-publish.
What are your writing plans for the future?
I would like to publish a holiday novel and maybe write a cozy fantasy book someday. Fingers crossed my schoolwork and part-time job allow me time to write these stories.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I am also an ARC reader for other authors, so anyone is free to check out those reviews. I’m a huge believer in authors supporting other authors. I know I should probably stick to reading and reviewing books within my genre, which is contemporary YA, but I read any story I find compelling (and with a gorgeous cover).
