Cleveland, Ohio

Much of the novel takes place in Cleveland, Ohio and the greater Cleveland metropolitan area. As a child, the protagonist lived with his parents in the suburbs of Cleveland. He briefly attends college in the suburbs of Cleveland before enlisting in the army. After his military service, the protagonist returns to Ohio and lives in Cleveland Heights, which is contained in the greater Cleveland area. In order to fund his heroin addiction, he robs banks in the greater Cleveland area and is eventually caught and arrested.

Iraq

The protagonist spends one year in Iraq as a United States soldier during the Iraq War. The narrative does not state the specific region of Iraq in which the protagonist is located. In Iraq, he resides in an American military base and is regularly sent on patrols. As a medic, he witnesses much carnage but is generally unable to help...