Adult Fiction. US suburban neighborhood hit by Tornado. Quirky chars: nosy old lady; man turns house into boat/ building boat; male Native American is outcast; 2 middle aged people (sucks bones to get marrow, boils bones into broth/ soup). Read ~2009-2014. > Likes and Comments

It was a random grab off of a library shelf about 10-15 years ago. I believe it was relatively modern at the time, but don't recall the publish date. I do recall that the author was male. This was found in the general fiction section and was geared toward adults (not due to explicit content, just not YA or younger).

Essentially, it's a fiction book that focuses on a neighborhood, where the cast of characters involve: a busy body old lady, who keeps an eye on everyone through her blinds (she may or may not have died); a man who either turns his house into a boat or is building a boat inside his house; a Native American, who is mostly an outcast in the very odd, but also very suburban neighborhood, and I remember he pops out from underneath a clawfoot tub in someone's front yard after a tornado hits the street later in the story; and then there are two middle aged people, who become a couple during some point in the story, and are fond of bones (one likes to suck on them to get to the marrow, while the other prefers to boil the bones into a broth/soup).

I realize this is like a grocery list of the most random things, but it's all I've been able to recall for years. I no longer live in the city where I checked the book out, and don't have a way to access the account I had at the time to try and locate the title.

Any help is appreciated!

What is the tone of the book? E.g. eccentric/whimsical, comedic (either dark or light), dramatic, etc.?

From what I can remember the overall tone was fairly low key, where all the eccentricity occurred more with the characterization. It was like a peek into the lives of those on the street, as if the reader is actually the one peering through the blinds at the goings-on of the neighborhood. Though, like I said, the older lady may have died early on. It's either she's passed and a relative comes to deal with her property, and that's the narrator, or it's more of an omniscient narrator.

A shot in the dark - Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell?

Location - U.S? what part of the country?

Kris wrote: "A shot in the dark - Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell?

Location - U.S? what part of the country?"

That's not it, but thanks for trying!

It's definitely set in the US, but I can't recall which part of the country. I don't know that it was ever stated, to be honest, but I can't remember either, so I'll blame my poor memory. It didn't take place in a major city, or city environment at all; the entirety of the book took place in the suburban neighborhood.

The Lake, the River & the Other Lake: A Novel? It has an Ojibwe character and the time frame is right, although it's hard to tell if anything else matches.

Brianna, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

Still looking. I no longer live in the town where I borrowed the book so I can’t go hunting for it in person. This book will bug me for as long as I live.

Brianna:

You can "bump" your thread every month or two (just commenting "bump" is the easiest way) to bring it to the first page, so that fresh eyes can see it. It's more likely to get solved than languishing back on page 43.

Still looking now?

Lobstergirl wrote: "Still looking now?"

Yes, unfortunately. Forever looking. XD

I think the book you're describing is "The Bone Clocks" by David Mitchell. This story blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, and realism.

Brianna, I copied book details to the topic header. Feel free to edit it.

Definitely a tornado and not a hurricane?
Story's time period?

Kris wrote: "Brianna, I copied book details to the topic header. Feel free to edit it.

Definitely a tornado and not a hurricane?
Story's time period?"

Thank you! And most definitely a tornado (I'm terrified of them so that point sticks well due to that).

Time period... gosh, it's been a while. It was modern for when I read it. It didn't state it was in a specific era, if I'm recalling correctly. It was a peek into a neighborhood of what could have been an older suburb. Just odd, quirky cast of neighbors.

If it helps anyone to see the bits I remember in list format:

- stereotypical nosy neighbor peeking through blinds (i believe she's the first character we're introduced to outside of the narrator)

- native American neighbor who, during the tornado later in the story, hides underneath a clawfoot tub(?) to ride the weather out, more or less.

- someone is building a boat in their home to the point it extends outside

- someone likes to make bone broth

- someone likes to suck on the bones instead

- those two end up a couple, or already are possibly? i vaguely recall them in a home together toward the end; they're both maybe in their 50s.

I, sadly, do not recall how it ends. It was found in a general fiction area, not marked as being fantasy, sci fi, et al.

Jessica wrote: "I think the book you're describing is "The Bone Clocks" by David Mitchell. This story blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, and realism."

Brianna wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "Still looking now?"

Yes, unfortunately. Forever looking. XD"

I looked at the premise of the book and it's a different format altogether. I really appreciate your sharing it with me, though!