Spruce Harbor, Maine, 2011

This is the novel's primary setting, the physical context in which its action plays out. The larger environment is frequently described as beautiful and peaceful, while Vivian's large mansion is depicted as stately and well-maintained. Both aspects of setting serve as vivid contrasts to the rundown home Molly shares with her foster parents, Dina and Ralph. It could be argued, in fact, that the beauty and expanse of Vivian's home is representative of the more expansive, open life Molly moves into over the course of the narrative.

New York City, late 1920s

This is the first of several important settings in which the narrative of Vivian's past unfolds. Her family lands in New York City in the "Roaring 20's" just prior to the stock market crash which caused a period of great financial distress. The city holds a great deal of both promise and danger, as...