Set in the short window between the release of the movie Jaws and the first Star Wars movie, The Marvels of Youth is both a paean to the magic of a child’s imagination and a compelling mystery. When Sean learns of the death of the owner of the comic bookstore in the small town along the shores of the Fraser River that he grew up in, he is transported back in his memory to a fateful year, when he stumbled upon an affair that could ignite the tensions of his working-class town. As the mystery unfolds, Bowling paints a rich picture of life in a fishing town, of striking workers and hard choices alongside the moments of awe and unexpected joy that a child faces at the edge of adulthood. Filled with unforgettable characters and beautifully layered storytelling The Marvels of Youth is a sweeping, glimmering tale, as mesmerizing as the river that flows through it.
