A Week in Early Fall, 1976

The first week back to school in 1976 is the primary setting of the novel’s present-day plot. Its temporal position at the cusp of fall signifies the inevitability of change, and it provides the structure of the novel as the characters quarrel in the first two or three days, then part for the following five before reconciling on the following Monday. While time and place in the rest of the novel are erratic and changing, the week in 1976 remains linear, especially centered on the backyard of the family home in Cambridge, where the children spend most of the week.

Highways of the U.S., 1976

An ever-changing landscape along American highways from Massachusetts to California is the site of Fern’s journey and her growth as a character. As she and Mac drive, Fern experiences more of the world and meets people beyond her own...