The film differs from the book in a few ways, due mostly due to the fact that the book was set in 1920s and the film was set in the 2000s. The book has Roy's two local friends as male, teenage brothers. The film has them as brother and sister. In the film, Roy, the main character, is from America, whereas the book suggests that Roy is from Europe. The story is set in Scotland, while the film uses Ireland as a backdrop, and adds Abbey as a "strong female counterpart to Roy."