The novel seeks to explore the worldview and motivations of religious fundamentalists (specifically within Islam), while at the same time dissecting the morals and lifeways of residents of the fictional decaying New Jersey Rust Belt suburb of "New Prospect" (which Updike has identified with Paterson, New Jersey, also the setting of his novel, In the Beauty of the Lilies).
The novel aims to investigate the beliefs and motivations of religious fundamentalists (specifically within Islam), while simultaneously examining the morals and lifestyles of residents in the fictional decaying New Jersey Rust Belt suburb "New Prospect" (which Updike has linked to Paterson, New Jersey, also the setting of his novel, In the Beauty of the Lilies).