The railyard

The railyard is where Jacob and his friends are forced to work for the Nazi occupiers. They are forced to move boxes of material between trains being shipped across the front. As it is one of the few areas they are allowed to gather together, it is where a large part of the action takes place. Much of the transmission of Jacob’s newest updates from the front takes place here as well as other interactions between Jacob and other ghetto residents.

Jacob’s room

Jacob's room used to be inhabited by two other men who died before the narrative begins but Jacob believes that they are still inhabiting the room, although his concern with these spirits diminishes as the novel’s story progresses. The presence of these spirits represents the power of memory and Jacob not wanting to forget those who have died.

Mischa’s room