The setting is the fictional town and state of Altamont , Catawba , a fictionalization of his home town , Asheville , North Carolina .
The novel covers the span of time from Eugene 's birth to the age of 19 .
The setting is the fictional town and state of Altamont , Catawba , a fictionalization of Eugene 's home town , Asheville , North Carolina .
The novel covers the span of time from Eugene 's birth to the age of 19 .