Afunny,bittersweetexplorationofhowachildcanchangeinoneshortyearoflove,loss,andgrowingup…Seven-year-oldScottyOceandecidesthatsevenisgoingtobe"hisyear."Butsoonafterhisbirthday,hisartist-turned-alcoholicmotherabandonsthefamily—leavingScottyandhistwooldersistersalonewiththeirfather.Ashisperfectyearistornapart(fallsapart?),Scottybeginstoactoutduringschoolandtakesaseriesofincreasinglywildactionstotrytowinhismotherback—and,whenthatdoesn'twork,toreplaceher.Funnyanddeeplyaffecting,AnOceaninIowatracesScotty'sdesperateattempttoholdontohischildhoodwhilethefoundationofhisfamilydisintegrates.AsScotty'syearasaseven-year-oldfliesby—andthedreadedeightapproaches—HedgesexploreshowScottyshedshischildhoodinaone-eightyoftheyearhehopedwouldbesoperfect.Beautifullywritten,andwithHedges'scarefulattentiontoperioddetail,thiscompellingcoming-of-agenovelsetstheprivateturmoilofadisintegratingfamilyagainstthebackdropoftheVietnamWarandtheturbulent1960s.