What is the setting in the novel, I Will Call It Georgie’s Blues?

I Will Call It Georgie's Blues is set in Gideon, North Carolina, a small southern town where everybody knows everybody else. A typical resident is Miss Patterson who is like "an outdoor TV camera" on Water Street where the Sloans live. According to Neal, she sees everything and tells everyone. This setting makes it even more surprising that the problems within the Sloan family have remained hidden for as long as they have.