The various sections of the book are set in many locations. The main setting is New York City, where the present-day characters live. Everett is a lifelong resident of New York and the city develops into its own character in the novel. Parts of the novel are also set in various locations in Europe, with the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania being the most important and receiving the largest portion of the narrative. Although the settings are located around the world and the descriptions come from various historical eras, the events described often mirror one another.