Aiken, South Carolina, Present Day

Avery lives in Aiken, South Carolina with her parents, Wells and Honeybee. Here, she meets May Crandall, who is living in a nursing home. She also regularly visits her Grandma Judy in Magnolia Manor. At the end of the novel, once May and Judy are reunited, they both live together at Magnolia Manor.

The Arcadia: Memphis, Tennessee 1939

The Arcadia is the name of Queenie and Briny's shantyboat. They live there with their children and lead a humble but happy life. Zede, Briny's best friend, and Silas, the boy who Zede took in, also live nearby on the Savannah River. When Rill gets taken to Mrs. Murphy's house, she constantly thinks back to the Arcadia to make herself feel better. The Arcadia brings Rill a sense of home and a sense of relief from the emotional and physical pain she experiences at the TCHS. When...