New York City

The entirety of The Cloisters is set in present day New York City. At the outset of the novel, Ann leaves her hometown, Walla Walla, Washington for the East Coast metropolis. In New York, Ann lives in Morningside Heights and commutes uptown to The Cloisters every day. The city’s diversity, intensity, and opportunities teach Ann that she does not need to cower in fear. She recognizes that she and Leo, like millions of other people around them are searching for a better future and will do anything to ensure their own success. Toward the end of the novel, Ann is offered a full time position at The Cloisters and decides to stay in Manhattan for the indefinite future.

The Cloisters

Throughout the novel, Ann works as a Summer Associate at The Cloisters, an offshoot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Cloisters is a winding...