The Marsh

Much of the novel takes place in the marsh near the town of Barkley Cove. Kya lives alone in a shack in this marsh, as her family members abandoned her there when she was young. She is self-reliant and mostly lives on nourishment taken from the marsh. Other than occasional visits from romantic interests, Kya is isolated within the marsh. She is ridiculed and persecuted by the townspeople, who seem to view her as strange, feral, and even subhuman, but these sentiments subside following Kya’s trial, and Kya lives the rest of her days in the marsh with Tate.

Barkley Cove

Barkley Cove is a fictional town in North Carolina that is a primary setting for the novel. Barkley Cove is located near a large marshland. Kya occasionally goes into town for supplies, although the townspeople generally shun, persecute, and ridicule her. Kya’s only consistent...