Baltimore, MD

The novel is set in Baltimore, Maryland. Most of the novel takes places in the Bedloe house on Waverly Street. The neighbors look up to the Bedloes, and their house is the place to be for the holidays. Most of the family stays in Baltimore. This city is a central part of the story.

Waverly Street

The story begins on Waverly Street where the reader learns how perfect the Bedloe family is. In the Bedloe house, there is a different story. The Bedloes keep up a façade of perfection to those outside. They do not let anything rock this perception. They do not argue or think too long on things that they do not like. By not expressing their true feelings, the house is held in a bubble of perfection.

Except for his short stint in college, Ian spends his entire life in the house on...