Fourteen-year-old Gary, a self-described "tree toad"--lover of a perfect lawn, the soft-porn masterpice of Carnal Cuties, his Underwoodtypewriter, and, above all, his rebellious cousin Kate--lives through one amazing Lake Wobegon summer. Gary preoccupies himself by spinningfantastic yarns about boogers, talking dogs, conversations between God and Jesus, and especially melodramas featuring himself as hero and Kate as distresseddamsel. When the real Kate makes a terrible mistake, Gary learns a lot about love, heartbreak, and what is really means to rebel.In his latest novel, Garrison Keillor describes the making of a writer who comes of age in classic Wobegon style. It's just what his fans have been waiting for: trademark wit, brilliant humor, great storytelling, and an extended stay in "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve."

Paperback; 304 pages