[3] In an interview with Locus, Ford said that the concept behind the novel was based on events from his life, and "was really kind of a memoir" before his editor encouraged him to rewrite the novel and "make it a story.
"[1] The model town built by the protagonists in their basement is based on a train set that Ford and his brother played with during their childhood.
[4] Three children, two boys, and a girl live in a quiet Long Island town with their alcoholic mother and hardworking father in the 1960s.
As the brothers follow their suspicions about the killer's identity, they realize that their younger sister, a savant, has been moving around figures in their model to act out events before they happen in the future.
Michael Levy, in a review for Strange Horizons, praised the novel but acknowledged that its ambiguity and open ended mysteries might alienate some readers.