New York City

New York City is the primary setting for the novel. Lucy, William, and their daughters all reside here. In the narrative present, William lives with Estelle, while Lucy lives alone. Their daughters live nearby with their husbands. Because the narrative shifts frequently between time and space, and often resists embodied descriptions of place, this narrative setting is a superficial container for the novel's events rather than a grounding atmosphere.

Illinois

Illinois is where Lucy grew up. As a girl, she lived with her siblings and parents in a diminutive home. Though Lucy alludes to her tumultuous childhood throughout the novel, she is reluctant to describe it in detail. When she does veer into flashback, she references her tiny childhood home and the desolateness of the surrounding landscape.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is one of the places to which Catherine took William, Lucy, and their girls...