New River Junction, Michigan

New River Junction is the Michigan city in which most of the novel takes place. The Butler family grew up there, in the house in which Lillian still lives. It is a fictional city on the real Saint Joseph River, which is a tributary of Lake Michigan. According to Althea, it was once the sight of a paper mill that was the "life breath's of the economy" (4), but the mill has since closed, creating financial problems for everyone, including Althea and Proctor, whose restaurant was suffering financial losses. It is, perhaps, Althea's loss of her status within this community that affects her more than anything.

Oldham County Correctional Facility

This is the county jail in New River Junction where Althea and Proctor have been remanded until they are sent to their more permanent prison facilities at the end of the novel. Althea notes that her...