Of course "from a place" is a much more common collocation, but that doesn't automatically make "of a place" grammatically incorrect. It could be an effective way to express the thought more poetically. If it was part of a speech, it may have been a deliberate choice that the speaker deployed to make the words sound more dramatic. If it was just in conversation, it was certainly an unusual choice of words; but that doesn't necessarily make it incorrect.

Yes, you're right! The more common and standard preposition is "from" when referring to someone's origin or where they come from, as in "She’s from a place where she wouldn’t know what a better job is." "Of" vs. "From": * "From": Refers to a person's origin or where they are geographically or culturally linked to. * Example: "She’s from a small town." * "Of": Can sometimes be used to describe a deeper, more intrinsic connection to a place, but it’s less common in everyday speech and can sound poetic or formal. * Example: "She is of noble heritage." Summary: * Correct Phrase: "She’s from a place where she wouldn’t know what a better job is." * "Of" can work, but "from" is standard and more appropriate in this context.

‘of’ conveys a closer connection and the idea that the place has affected the person. In this case it’s a little redundant because the author explains explicitly that the result is a lack of awareness of the existence of better jobs. Saying ‘from’ here would work well and convey the same meaning. ‘She’s a woman of a poor town and happy with her low-paying job.’ (An example where the author uses ‘of’ to imply a general point)

I agree with Jonathan and Chris. OF a place is more poetic, more about a mental state perhaps. It made me think of being IN a place too > referring to one's mental state or perhaps societal level.