sˈɛt ɪn ɐ fˈɪkʃənəl sˈʌbɜːb ʌv sˈʌðɚn kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə kˈɔːld "sˈæntoʊ doʊnˈɑːɾoʊ," ðə stˈoːɹi ʌnfˈoʊldz ˌoʊvɚɹ ɐ pˈiəɹɪəd ʌv ɐbˌaʊt fˈoːɹ jˈɪɹz, wɪð mˈoʊst əv ðɪ ˈækʃən tˈeɪkɪŋ plˈeɪs dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə fˈɜːst jˈɪɹ ænd ðə lˈæst mˈʌnθs.
Set in a fictional suburb of Southern California called "Santo Donato," the story unfolds over a period of about four years, with most of the action taking place during the first year and the last months.