Ireland

The entire novella takes place within different parts of Ireland, mostly in rural parts but occasionally branching off into more urban surroundings. It's unclear when exactly the novella takes place, as a time is never explicitly given. Brief references are made to "strikers," which could reasonably place it within the late 1970s or early 1980s when hunger strikes happened in prisons in Northern Ireland among Irish prisoners. The often-rural setting is juxtaposed pointedly with the brief glimpses we get of life in more bustling areas of the country.

The Kinsellas' House and Neighborhood

The majority of the novel takes place in and around the Kinsellas' house, which is potentially in the County Wexford on Ireland's east coast. The house itself is tall and surrounded by trees and other foliage. Over the course of the novella, the house comes to represent a haven of sorts that the Kinsellas have...