"Where the Lilies Bloom" is a story set in the Appalachian Mountains, specifically in the rural backwoods of North Carolina. The film adaptation was shot in Watauga County (including Boone and Blowing Rock), Ashe County (West Jefferson and Lansing), and Avery County (Elk Park and Banner Elk), North Carolina

. The narrative centers on the Luther children, who live in the Appalachian hollows, a remote and isolated mountain area, striving to keep their family together after their father's death

. The novel and film vividly depict Appalachian life, including the use of folk medicine and wildcrafting, with the natural environment of the mountains playing a crucial role. The story captures the essence of living in a "holler within a hollow" surrounded by rich forests, streams, and seasonal wild plants like lilies, which bloom in the spring, symbolizing renewal amid hardship

. In summary, "Where the Lilies Bloom" is set in the Appalachian region of North Carolina, in the mountainous hollows where lilies and other wildflowers bloom, reflecting the natural and cultural landscape of that area