Helen's Manor

The bulk of the novel takes place at the enormous manor which Helen MacDaniel owns outside of Milan, Italy, and the location has significant bearing on the novel's themes as well as its plot. Given that much of the novel's environmentalist message is caught up in a critique of wealth and excess, Helen's manor allows Ausubel to satirize and critique the actions of the rich and powerful in the face of global environmental crisis. Helen often finds herself distracted by throwing celebratory parties and functions or picking out dresses and canapés rather than focusing on the fact that she has managed to breed a baby mammoth. Furthermore, the location offers insight on the novel's conversations about gender, as Helen's access to wealth and finery both tempts and disturbs Eve and Vera, who see Helen's excessive holdings as both an example of female empowerment and a display...