Setting
This story takes place in present day Edenton, North Carolina. It's a very small town where everyone knows each other. It's set in present day and it's close to the beach. At the beginning of the story, there is a storm. It creates a conflict with a woman and her son. A fireman finds her and attempts to rescue them both. This is imporant to the plot of the novel because it introduces many more conflicts between these three people and their pasts.