# Can you tell me what book this is?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 22, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329 "2009-08-22T18:23:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/1 "2009-08-22T18:23:04Z")

</div>

I’ve been wanting to read it, but for the life of me can’t remember the author or title! It’s a novel, written quite recently in the last 3 or 4 years, set in the 50’s. The main character is an unnamed boy. His mother drinks a lot. He has a little sister who does strange things with a miniature model of their town set up in their basement. And there is an illustration featuring a 50’s car on the jacket. Ring a bell? Anyone?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/2 "2009-08-23T16:17:10Z")

</div>

Never mind, found it.

Thanks for all your help, though!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/3 "2009-08-23T16:27:46Z")

</div>

Fine. :rolleyes:

What the heck is the title, already?  
🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/4 "2009-08-23T19:13:28Z")

</div>

Yeah! You gotta tell _ **us!!!** _

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/5 "2009-08-23T20:04:00Z")

</div>

The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-what-book-this-is/507329/6 "2009-08-23T22:22:56Z")

</div>

Thanks!