Where is the setting of the book?

The novel begins in the bookstore that Margaret's father owns. The bookstore is a small, crowded store that is rarely visited by customers. Margaret grew up in the bookstore, reading as many turn-of-the-century novels she could get her hands on. As an adult, Margaret not only works in the store, but she also lives above it. The store is Margaret's life. When Margaret gets the offer to write Miss Winter's biography, she leaves the store, much to her chagrin, to stay with Miss Winter in her home in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is the setting of many of the turn of the century novels Margaret has loved since her childhood, so there is some excitement to coming to this part of the country and being so close to the moors that were romanticized in her favorite novels. The house itself is a large home, filled to the rafters with rugs and furniture until a person's very footsteps seem muffled. The house seems to reflect its owner, the character of the overstuffed rooms a great deal like the woman who seems to hide behind the layers of stories she has told throughout her lifetime.

The house also has a large set of maze-like gardens outside. These gardens are similar to gardens that existed at one point outside Angelfield House, connecting through symbolism the two settings as well as an important aspect of the story. Angelfield House is the home of the Angelfield family, an old, wealthy family in whose home Miss Winter grew up. The house itself is a large mansion that is falling apart around the ears of those who live there. No one inside the house either cares or is capable of taking proper care of the house. The rooms are filthy and the ceiling is falling down. The state of the house is only rivaled by the disastrous condition of the family, creating yet more symbolism between the setting and the story.