Hillerman sets the novel against the backdrop of the fall of Vietnam. To make the connection between the historical and the fictional events clear, he places at the head of each chapter a brief news story describing the historical event that occurred that day. Each fictional day therefore has a historical date and a historical event that help establish context for the fictional action. For instance, after Moon and his small group have entered Vietnam on their way to Cambodia, Hillerman prefaces the chapter with a short piece from the New York Times dated April 28, 1975, describing the announcement that the new Cambodian government would not continence any foreign intervention and that Khemer Rouge troops were executing their own population. This historical information heightens the sense of danger attached to fictional events and places them within a larger context.

In addition to being a historical novel, Finding Moon also...