Southern California

This is the novel's primary setting, the area in which Sean and his family make their home.

Kansas

Kansas, which has occupied Sean's mind and imagination ever since he was a child, is the setting for the game "Trace Italian". It is also the home of Carrie and Lance, two players of Trace Italian whose experiences with the game trigger both external challenges (i.e. a potential lawsuit) and internal challenges (i.e. contemplation of personal truth) for protagonist Sean.

The Past

Much of the narrative is set in the past: in the months and years of Sean's late adolescence and young adulthood. In this novel, there is a very clear sense that the events of the past both define and haunt the present, with the action of the novel consisting primarily of Sean's confrontations with that past.

The Hospital

The hospital where Sean recovered from the...