Chisolm Farm, outside Mercury, Mississippi, 1915-1935

The vast majority of the novel Miss Jane takes place on the Chisolm family farm, a vast property that contains ponds, woods, livestock, crops, tenants, the Chisolm house, and Sylvester's small general store. The farm's isolation from even the small neighboring town of Mercury mirrors the emotional isolation that parents Sylvester and Ida feel both from each other, and also from society as a whole. To underscore this point: both Sylvester and Ida will ultimately pass away in the night, by themselves, outside somewhere on the farm. Still, Jane enjoys being on the farm, preferring to live there instead of in town as an adult.

Mercury, Mississippi, 1915-1935

The small town of Mercury is still incredibly rural, by most standards, but it still feels busy and active for the Chisolms whenever they visit, compared to the tranquility of the farm. The comparatively wild...