What is the importance of New Orleans in the novel, Things We Lost to the Water?

New Orleans is the novel's main setting. When Hương, Tuấn, and Ben flee Vietnam, they immigrate to New Orleans. Initially, they stay with a local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Minh. Not long into their stay with the Minhs, Hương realizes they must find their own place to live. They soon relocate to the Versailles Arms Apartments, where they live for years to come. Though Hương is repelled and confused by New Orleans when she first arrives, over the years, the city becomes her home.