Oceanside, California

The hometown of the central characters, Oceanside is a city near San Diego. For the first part of the novel, it serves as the place that Nadia is desperate to escape and a home for Aubrey, who manages to find a sense of community here. It's proximity to Camp Pendleton makes it easier for Robert Turner, as he works there, and Elise Turner moved to Oceanside to be closer to him. Nadia eventually misses the warmth of the Oceanside once she moves to Ann Arbor, as she is not used to the cold.

Upper Room Chapel

The center of religion for a certain section of the black community, it has John Sheppard as its pastor. It is a place of community and comfort for people like Robert Turner, who is dealing with the death of his wife, and Aubrey, who has never felt at home anywhere and...