Washington, D.C., 2010s

Much of the action of the novel unfolds in realistically represented neighborhoods and locales in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C, including Georgetown, Adams Morgan, O Street, DuPont Circle, Meridian Hill Park, Fourteenth Street, the Rock Creek Park Trail, the Potomac, the C and O Canal, and the George Washington Parkway,

In keeping with the affluence of most of the characters in the novel, most events occur in the expensive neighborhoods where the characters live. Georgetown, close to the private school Niru and Meredith attend, is an established neighborhood in Washington, D.C., that includes embassies, fine homes, and expensive stores that serve as the backdrop for the action of the novel. As a person of color, Niru navigates these spaces with some degree of caution because he is aware that he is more likely to be the subject of harassment by police officers...