What is the setting of The Forgotten Daughter by Caroline Dale Snedeker?

The setting of Caroline Dale Snedeker's novel "The Forgotten Daughter" is that of late Republican Rome, in the Italian region of Samnia. The setting of the novel works well for at least two reasons. First, in that the late Republican period in Rome was an era of great changes, and a clamor for reform. While certain traditions are pressed for, such as the return of stolen lands to family farmers, other traditions are seen as arcane and are largely forgotten, such as marriage between a master and a slave being utterly and totally impossible.