Diane Josefowicz Boeken

Set in the tumultuous Sixties, the narrative follows three distinct characters: a man facing the loss of his draft deferment, a young pregnant woman grappling with fragile mental health, and an astronomer obsessed with UFOs. Each character navigates their personal challenges while being constrained by familial expectations and the broader historical context. Their intertwined stories explore themes of identity, societal pressures, and the quest for freedom amidst chaos.

In 1985, the shooting of Mr. Marfeo disrupts the quiet suburban neighborhood of Maple Bay and prompts thirteen-year-old Zinnia Zompa to reorganize everything she knows about her parents-- their preoccupations, obsessions, and above all, their battles with each other. As her understanding of the world grows, Zinnia sees how the violence she witnesses is part of a larger pattern of domination, one that shadows the world far beyond her neighborhood, and her coming-of-age means reckoning with this darkness.