Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki is the capital and the most populous city in the country of Finland. The novel’s frame narrative follows Joan and Joe as they arrive in Helsinki, as Joe has been named the recipient of the Helsinki Prize for Literature. As they travel to Helsinki, Joan finally decides to end her relationship with Joe. After Joe receives the award, Joan tells Joe that she no longer wants to have a relationship with him. Joe then has a heart attack and dies.

Smith College

Smith is a women’s liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. In the mid-1950s, Joe was a creative writing professor there, and Joan was a 19-year-old student. Joan and Joe fell in love and began to have a sexual and romantic relationship. After Joe’s wife Carol found out, Joe decided to leave his wife. Joe and Joan then left the...