Covina, California is the birthplace of the author, Jean Stafford. Mentioned in more than one of these stories, Covina represents the place where illusions are lost and innocence is left behind.
The town of Adams, Colorado is a semi-fictitious town the author created. Located approximately 15 miles north of Denver, the town of Adams is described as the location to which many of polite society's rejects have fled. The population of Adams, Colorado carries its own societal norms and spiritual overtones, many of which are reflections of the author's views upon her own childhood. It is this town that is the location used in the majority of Jean Stafford's collection.
Jean Stafford left the United States and headed east. Germany became one of her many haunts. The University of Heidelberg is one.....
