Connie's Apartment

The opening chapters of the novel take place in Connie's shabby, run-down apartment in the barrio in New York City. The apartment is the setting for the violent confrontation between Connie, Geraldo and Dolly which results in Connie being sent to Bellevue. It's also the setting for Connie's conversation with Luciente, in which she's told that Luciente is from the future. The apartment is a setting for juxtaposed scenes of despair and hope.

Luciente's Watch

The "watch" (which Luciente says is actually called a "kenner") is a portable computer, similar to today's Blackberry or cell phone, offering access to information and communication.

Bellevue

This is the renowned/infamous hospital for the mentally ill in New York to which Connie has been committed in the past as the result of her actual violence towards her daughter and to which she is again committed, but only briefly, in...