National Network for Equitable Library Service

The Sandbar is a collection of vignettes from the Sandbar, a small-town watering hole in Northern Michigan owned by an eccentric couple with a penchant for stiff drinks. At an early age, their nephew gains an appreciation for exotic cocktails and for the quirky intricacies of family relations. The Sandbar follows Nephew’s experiences as a displaced Québécois youth growing up at the bar against the backdrop of such monumental events as the Detroit riots, Marilyn Monroe’s death and the beginnings of the Hippie movement. The Sandbar is a snapshot of the 1950s and ’60s “Golden Age” of America, following a family and the colorful clientele of their privately-owned cocktail lounge.