Camas, WA

Camas, Washington is the small town where the Chance family lives. It is an actual town, not fictional, and is located in south Washington, near the Oregon border. The main industry in town is the pulp mill where Hugh works and, eventually, where Peter finds employment.

Vietnam War

This is the war of the 1960s for the United States, and one that divides the country. The novel is decidedly anti-war, and Vietnam is presented as the worst possible location for the best possible child, Irwin.

Lucky Strikes

This is the brand name of Hugh's favorite cigarettes. This is an obvious play to keep everything in the novel baseball oriented. The cigarettes indeed are not lucky as they cause him to die of lung cancer at a young age.

Thumb/Toe Surgery

This is a revolutionary surgery invented by Dr. Franken that replaces a dead thumb with...