London

The novel is set in London in the late 1800s, and there are lengthy descriptions of the town, including specific neighborhoods and landmarks. Tessa goes to the train station and describes the throng of people and the buildings, including the sounds. She and Will travel to a slum area of the city in search of Will, and they see the raw hopelessness of the people who live in that neighborhood. There are general descriptions, such as the fact that there are dirty children playing in the streets of a poor neighborhood while drunk women lean on each other for support. There are also specific descriptions, such as Westminster Abbey, where Tessa and Jem take time to look at the various points of interest. Some of the places are imaginary, created for this novel, such as the Downworlder drug den where Jem and Tessa find Will.

The London Institute