New York, New York

New York, New York is where Belle's family lives and where she returns upon getting a job with J.P. Morgan. The city plays an important role as Belle settles into a life there. She spends a lot of time at the Pierpont Morgan Library, where she commits her life to collecting rare manuscripts and art. She lives in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment with Genevieve and her four siblings at first, then rents a larger apartment before buying two adjacent apartments so that she has her own space but maintains the social expectation of having her mother nearby. There are many specific scenes, such as the Martha Washington Hotel for Women and Greenwich Village, where she develops friendships.

Pierpont Morgan Library

Pierpont Morgan Library is arguably the main setting for the majority of the novel. This is a building owned by Pierpont Morgan strictly as...