First published 1985
Edgar lives in the Bronx during the 1930s, watching his neighborhood transform as America slowly emerges from the Depression. His family holds together despite financial pressures and uncertainty about the future. The streets feel safe enough for children to explore, and Edgar discovers the rhythms of city life through its sounds, smells, and daily rituals. As 1939 approaches, excitement builds around the upcoming World's Fair in Queens, a spectacle that promises to showcase the future and restore faith in progress. For Edgar's generation, the fair represents hope after years of hardship. The event becomes a symbol of everything their parents have worked toward and sacrificed for. Edgar must navigate the gap between childhood innocence and growing awareness of adult struggles, all while his family and community pin their dreams on this grand celebration of tomorrow.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Bronx, New York, Queens
Period: 1930s, 1939
288 pages · Hardcover · Random House