Rented house outside Seoul, 2000's

The majority of the novel takes place in a rented house in a naturally forested area outside of Seoul, Korea. Janie's parents have rented this house as a place to stay for many months while her father receives world-class cancer treatment in the city. The time in this house is split rather evenly between positive and negative experiences. On the positive side, Janie's father enjoys gardening and walking around the expansive property, and on many nights distant family members come and reflect on their life together. On the negative side, the house frequently feels small when it becomes filled with the argumentative members of the extended family, who are unable to let their personal grievances go, even as Janie's father nears his death.

Suburban Michigan

When Janie was a young child, her family (including an already-born Hannah) moved from Korea to suburban Michigan, as...