What is the main setting in the novel, The Weight of Silence?

This novel takes place in a small town in Iowa. This is important because it is a remote community where everybody knows each other. Crime is minimal, but it is beginning to creep into the area. The small-town atmosphere has kept Antonia from meeting people and developing friendships because she is concerned about what everybody will think about her husband. The sheriff department is small but efficient. Since it isn't a big city organization, they are able to bend the rules a bit. For example, Louis brings in help based on his own intuition rather than actual evidence, and his co-workers support him.

The novel takes place in the edge of a woods, which is also important. It makes the investigation all the more difficult. It also adds depth to the story showing that a setting that can be imaginative and magical can also become the setting for a child's (and parent's) worst nightmare.