Kansas City, 2010's

Every scene in the novel takes place in Kansas City over the course of one year, in the 2010s. There are very few references to specific, local Kansas City features. For the most part, Kansas City is an easily substituted stand-in for a wide variety of suburban American locations. The relatively generic nature of the city, plus the public school that Max attends, allows many readers to find the similarities with their own potential experience.

William H. Taft Elementary School

Max's elementary school -- and in particular the pick-up zone at the end of the school day -- is a recurring meeting place for the class parents, essentially forcing them to keep in regular contact with one another. For Jen, this location becomes incredibly pressure-filled, particularly in January, after she has been unseated as the primary class mom. For a while, Jen even insists that Ron...