The Smell of Other People’s Houses is set in early 1970s Alaska. Hitchcock traces the historical events that shaped the protagonists’ lives, exploring how their social context defines their coming-of-age journey. Alaska’s annexation to the United States—a turning point in the narrative—was a moment of major change. Alaska remained a territory until 1958 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act, officially making Alaska the 49th state in 1959. Hitchcock highlights the fundamental presence of Indigenous tribes in Alaska and their definitive role in its history, as well as the tension surrounding Alaska’s statehood.

An early Russian colony, Alaska was acquired by the United States in 1867. Discussion about its statehood commenced in the early 20th century, but Alaska’s isolation, sparse population, and unstable economy stalled the plans. During World War II, Alaska became of strategic importance to the US government, as Japanese Americans and nationals were forcibly removed to concentration camps inland, and the Japanese invaded Alaska in 1943. In 1945, the US transferred weaponry through Cold Bay in the Soviet Union and trained Soviet troops, expecting the Soviet Union's participation in the war against Japan.