Karen Winn's "Our Little World"

Karen Winn received her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She also holds a doctoral degree in nursing. Born and raised in New Jersey, she now lives in Boston with her husband and two children.

Here Winn dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Our Little World:

Set in the 1980s in a small and idyllic New Jersey town, Our Little World is a lyrical coming of age novel with a looming mystery about two sisters with a relationship equal parts love and envy, whose lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed by a neighborhood girl’s disappearance.

When Max and his little sister Sally move in across the street, soon-to-be seventh grader Bee and her sister Audrina are excited that their circle of local friends has expanded. But what begins as a usual fun-filled summer—playing kickball in their cul-de-sac and swimming at the local haunts—quickly goes awry when Sally goes missing at the town lake. In the aftermath, Bee and Audrina’s little world cracks, both inside the home, as secrets, guilt, and jealousy come between them, and outside of it, as the illusion of stability in their close-knit community is shattered.

This novel is full of 80s nostalgia and has a dark underbelly. It’s about complex sibling and family relationships, and small-town dynamics. The tone of the movie would be in the vein of Stand by Me, or the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown.

Here’s my dream cast of actors (from various stages in their careers):

Twelve-year-old Bee would be played by a young Christina Ricci (from the eras of The Addams Family or The Ice Storm).

The adult version of Bee would be played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Audrina, Bee’s eleven-year-old sister, would be played by a young Emma Roberts, from Unfabulous era.

Little Sally Baker, the four-year-old who goes missing at the lake, would be played by a young Drew Barrymore, from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Max Baker—Sally’s brother and Bee’s crush—would be played by a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Randy Taylor on Home Improvement).

Bee and Audrina’s mother would be played by Sally Field (Mrs. Doubtfire era), and their father would be played by Dan Lauria (Jack Arnold from The Wonder Years).

Mrs. Baker would be played by Kathy Bates (Misery era), and Dr. Baker by Hugh Laurie (from House).

Diane would be played by a young Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday era), and Courtney by a young Hilary Duff (from Lizzie McGuire).

The Wiley brothers (Patrick and Andrew) would be played, respectively, by a young Kiernan Culkin from the era of Cider House Rules and his real-life brother, a young Rory Culkin from the movie Lymelife.

Visit Karen Winn's website.

The Page 69 Test: Our Little World.

--Marshal Zeringue