#tbt: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Image: Macmillan Publishers

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. 256 p. Square Fish/ Macmillan, 1999.

#tbt features When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. This is the story of Toby Wilson's summer in 1971. It's a sad one for sure. His mother left the family for good and his best friend's brother comes home from Vietnam in a coffin. And then, a trailer festooned with Christmas lights rolls into town towed by a blue Thunderbird. After it is parked in the Dairy Maid parking lot, a sign goes up proclaiming that the "fattest boy in the world" lives in the trailer. For $2, the fine residents of Antler, Texas can take a peek. Toby joins the line with his best friend, Cal.

This quirky novel was Ms. Holt's second and won the National Book Award in 1999. It was adapted for film in 2003. If you are a thoughtful reader who likes quiet novels, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town will steal your heart.