Mojave Desert, California

The Mojave Desert in Southern California consists of a series of small towns in the area near Joshua Tree and Palm Springs. Despite the sparse landscape and brutal temperatures, the Mojave Desert becomes a significant melting pot of different people from different cultures. While it will eventually feel like home for the main character of the novel, Nora Guerraoi, the same towns will feel emotionally isolating for people of other minorities, including Detective Coleman and Efraín. With the exception of Nora's brief return to Oakland, and then to the music festival, all of the present-day scenes (i.e., excluding flashbacks) in the novel take place in the Mojave Desert.

Intersection at Highway 62

The most crucial location within the Mojave Desert is an intersection along Route 62, which is where Driss is run over and killed. Prior to Driss' death, the intersection contained the bowling alley, run...