100 Essex

After Malabar marries Charles, Adrienne and her family move into 100 Essex, an extravagant mansion in Boston. Though Charles is kind and generous, Adrienne never feels at home in 100 Essex. She believes the sheer scale and lavishness of the house creates divides between her family, keeping them even from hearing one another's movements through the space. Eventually Charles and Malabar sell the home and move into a smaller apartment.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is the setting for the majority of the memoir's events. Adrienne and her family have a cottage here, where they spend the majority of their summers together. To Adrienne, Cape Cod represents something magical and secret. When Malabar later tells her she is giving the cottage to Adrienne's brother, Peter, Adrienne is hurt; she believes her mother's decision is a slight, as Malabar knew how important the place always was to her.

Cape Cod is...