The book opens in the Pacific Ocean and discusses the formation of the islands due to repeated volcanic eruptions over millions and millions of years.
Bora Bora is an island approximately twenty-four hundred miles to the south of the islands, whose formation is discussed in the first chapter. It is a part of a group of islands whose religious and political center is Havaiki.
This island of Havaiki is the one that the Bora Bora group sailed to and settled on after leaving Bora Bora. It became one of the Hawaiian islands. Owhyhee is the island called Hawaii.
Yale University is in New Haven, Connecticut and is the place where Abner Gideon attended university.
Marlborough is the home of Abner Hale, who was raised in a Christian household on a farm.
