Saint Rémy

Much of the novel takes place in Saint Rémy, a small, rural village in France. Agnès and Fabienne both grow up in the village, where they spend their days playing ludicrous, nonsensical games. Saint Rémy is relatively impoverished, partly due to the impact of the Second World War. Many of the residents, including Agnès’ parents and Fabienne’s father, are farmers. As Agnès’ fame grows, many members of the media and literary elite focus on Agnès’ relationship with Saint Rémy. They treat the village as an antiquated, exotic locale that is unlikely to produce a successful writer.

Woodsway

Midway through the novel, Agnès leaves Saint Rémy to attend Woodsway, a finishing school in England. The manor had once been owned by a well-known industrialist, whose daughters endowed the property to Mrs. Townsend (the headmistress of Woodsway). The...