Colombia

The South American country of Colombia is the novel's primary setting. Its real-world history of being torn apart by armed conflict over and around the country's extensive drug trafficking network forms a powerful backdrop for the narrative's action, the transformations of its characters, and the consideration of several of its themes.

Bogota

Bogota is Colombia's capital city. Chula and her family live in a relatively affluent suburb, while Petrona and her family live in one of its slums. It is the center of much of the armed conflict between various drug-war related factions that shapes much of the novel's action.

The Hills

"The Hills" is the name of the "invasion," the slum-like community of impoverished refugees in which Petrona and her family make their home. It is the setting for most of the sections of the narrative that focus on Petrona, and is also the setting for a...