Seattle/ Mercer Island, Washington, 2013

Mercer Island is where Allison, Bruce and the kids live, and where Karen wants Jacob to go live after she is gone. He will be integrated into the family as if he were one of their own children, go to a public school, and be an honorary sibling to Dustin, Camilla, and Ross. A lot of the novel’s action happens on Mercer Island and in near-by Seattle (such as Jacob meeting Dave for the first time) and it is somewhere familiar, comfortable, and secure. Karen and Allison’s father is also in a home in Seattle, so there are strong familial ties to the area.

Dave's Apartment, New Jersey

Dave’s apartment is in New Jersey. It is a place Jacob goes to stay when Karen is hospitalized, where he has a new room decorated especially for him, a new pet Friendly the iguana...