Where It All Goes Down
Staten Island, NY in the mid-1960s
Although John and Lorraine make a trip to Manhattan with Mr. Pignati, the rest of the action takes place on Staten Island, the southern-most of New York City's five boroughs. (Incidentally, Paul Zindel was born on Staten Island and went to college there.) John and Lorraine never refer specifically to the time setting of their story, and never refer to any historical events. However, it seems clear that the story is taking place at about the same time the novel was published, 1968. (See "In a Nutshell" for more about 1968 and the historical context of the novel.)