Minneapolis

Most of the collection’s stories are set in Minneapolis, which is the most populous city in Minnesota. Most of the book’s characters reside in Minneapolis, and most of the characters are friends or family members of other characters in the collection. Although the stories often explicitly state that Minneapolis is their setting, Minneapolis is, in certain ways, non-crucial. In other words, the collection could be set in nearly any large U.S. city; the collection mostly functions to examine the lives and relationships of a wide ensemble of characters living in the same city. Minneapolis’ specific geography is not often a central focus, except in the “Coda” section, where the narration uses Minneapolis’ St. Anthony Falls as a symbol of hope and optimism.

San Francisco

The story “Bravery” begins in the city of San Francisco, where Elijah and Susan first meet each other at an art...