The book takes place from approximately January to October 1963 , a turbulent time during the Civil Rights Movement . The Watson family is fictional , but the characters are based on members of the author 's family , including himself , and many of the events in the first half of the book are based on a farm from the author 's childhood and additional personal events . Events later in the story center around the historic 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham , soon after the civil rights protests had gained negotiation with white city leaders for integration . KKK members bombed the church on September 15 , 1963 , killing four girls and injuring many more . In the novel , the incident is depicted as occurring a bit earlier than the historical date , allowing the Watson family to still be on summer vacation in Birmingham when it took place
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963