Walled In is a story set on Randall's Island, an area historically known for housing various institutions, such as hospitals, asylums, and schools for the poor, delinquent, and orphaned children in New York City. This island, located in the East River, was a place of confinement and control for society's most vulnerable and marginalized groups, which provides the backdrop for the narrative.The novel is likely centered around a young protagonist, either an inmate of one of the institutions or someone connected to the people living there. The title, Walled In, metaphorically represents the physical and emotional isolation faced by the characters, who are literally walled in by the institution and figuratively by the harsh realities of their circumstances.