What is the setting of The Scalpel and the Silver Bear by Lori Alvord?

Dr. Lori Alvord, the author and main character of The Scalpel and the Silver Bear, has a reflective and divided perspective on her life. It is reflective in that Alvord is keenly aware of her emphases in the book. She makes her themes explicit and draws clear lessons from her story. There is no guesswork when it comes to Alvord's view. The perspective is also fundamentally divided because of Alvord's experience as a Western-trained surgeon and a member of the Navajo nation. As mentioned at several points in the guide, Alvord self-consciously develops a dual identity between her two lives.