what is meant by the word "locale" in terms of literature?

The "locale" of a piece of literature is the setting, the
location of the action. Obviously, in many instances, a work may include more than one
locale.

For example, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
starts with the scene of the action being St. Petersburg, Missouri, the fictitious
hometown of Huck and Tom Sawyer. However, the locale for most of the story is the
Mississippi River, ranging from St. Petersburg all the way south to New
Orleans.