New York City

New York City is the overarching backdrop for the novel. After Cara flees from her husband Ricardo, she leaves the Dominican Republic with her son Fernando. They emigrate to the United States, ultimately settling in New York. Not long later, Cara helps her sister Ángela and brother Rafa come to New York as well. The siblings begin a life together in this urban American setting.

Washington Heights

Washington Heights is the neighborhood in New York, New York where Cara and her family live. When Cara first comes to the States, Washington Heights is an undesirable location to live. Over the years since, however, the neighborhood has become increasingly gentrified. A new onslaught of white residents has altered the area. Cara's building is no longer rent-stabilized, and Cara constantly worries about losing her home by incidentally breaking one of the management company's many new rules.

Cara's Apartment