The Optimistâs Daughter begins in New Orleans, Louisiana. The beginning of the novel takes place in a hospital in the bustling city during Marti Gras. After the Judge passes, the majority of the novel is set in Laurelâs childhood home, in her fatherâs hometown of Mount Salus, Mississippi.
The two largest hospitals in Huntington are St. Mary's Medical Center and Cabell Huntington Hospital. St. Mary's and Cabell-Huntington are jointly designated as the only trauma center in the region.
As of the 2010 census, the metropolitan area is the largest in West Virginia. It spans 7 counties across 3 states, with a population of 365,419. Huntington is the second largest city in West Virginia, with a population of 49,138 at the 2010 census. The HuntingtonâCharleston TV market is the 64th-largest in the nation.