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The story is set in Weirton, West Virginia, a small 1950s industrial town in the Northern panhandle of the state. Weirton is more akin to Ohio and Pennsylvania than the rural heart of West Virginia. Weirton's economy and its existence is dominated by the Weirton Steel Company and related coal mining spread throughout the region. For this Ohio Valley steel mill community the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s were the high water marks in development, growth, and prosperity. The city was described as a melting pot, a city of churches and the essence of ethnic diversity. It is 1958-59. The two main characters are seniors at Weir High School. They and their friends experience the fun and frustrations of their final year in the controlled environment of public education.