Canada

Canada is the broad strokes, national setting for this novel. In general, Canada has had relatively liberal abortion laws, strong sexual assault laws, and accepting laws on same-sex relationships: all these aspects of Canadian culture and identity provide essential context for both the book's content and narrative perspective (i.e. inspiring and positive, rather than confrontational and controversial).

Palermo

Palermo is the name of the small town where the narrative is set. The community's relatively small population and relative distance from an urban center where central character Hermione can have her abortion both define important elements in Hermione's story.

Camp Manitouwabing

This camp is the setting for the book's opening and closing sections (notwithstanding the brief prologue). Established in the forested part of north-western Ontario (the Canadian province in which Hermione's hometown of Palermo is located), the camp is where Hermione experiences both the sexual assault that traumatizes...