Dandelion Wine (1957)

Overview

"Dandelion Wine" is an autobiographical coming-of-age novel written by Ray Bradbury in 1957. The story takes place in the summer of 1928 in the fictional town of Green Town, Illinois, which is based on the author's hometown of Waukegan. The narrative centers on twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding, who experiences a magical yet fleeting summer filled with discoveries, joys, and first encounters with death. The novel, which grew out of a short story of the same name from 1953, is a deeply personal and lyrical work in which nostalgia intertwines with reflections on the passage of time and the beauty of everyday life.

Franchise chronology

• "Dandelion Wine" (1957) — the first novel in the Green Town trilogy, introducing Douglas Spaulding and his summer adventures.
• "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1962) — the second novel in the trilogy, set in the same town but in autumn, telling darker, fantastical events.
• "Farewell Summer" (2006) — a direct sequel to "Dandelion Wine," continuing Douglas's story at the end of that same summer as he confronts growing up and the inevitability of change.