Some kisses and affection between a married couple, but nothing inappropriate or graphic. Old Abel also drinks to excess and is portrayed as a barely functional alcoholic who drowns his problems by drinking. This is represented as extremely negative. There is a scene in which a late night dance occurs and the crowd is described as drunk. The family attends church, though this is more of a social event rather than a spiritual exercise.Ī strange man at a dance tries to drag Valancy out on to the dance floor and demands a kiss, but she is saved by another character before anything else happens. Given Valancy’s age (29) and her mother and cousin’s ability to care for themselves, Valancy’s decisions come across as understandable and brave rather than defiant and ungrateful. Valancy defies her mother and spinster cousin’s wishes that she remain at home and sets out to “have adventures” for the first time in her life. The book clearly does not condone this conduct, though it challenges readers to see Cissy as a human being who made a regrettable mistake that had a negative impact on her life (fairly impressive for a book first published in 1926!). Valancy nurses a dying woman, Cissy, who no one else will come near because Cissy is known to have had a child out of wedlock. She embarks on a series of adventures and discoveries that culminates in an exploration of love and selflessness. Continually overshadowed and hemmed in by her domineering and materialistic relatives, Valancy lives in a fantasy world that she calls her “Blue Castle.” Finally discontented with living in a fantasy, Valancy vows to discover who she is and what she loves when she receives a life-changing letter from her physician, Dr. Montgomery’s usual style of story features a miserable and cowed 29-year-old heroine named Valancy Stirling. Set loosely in the 1920’s, this departure from L.M. A fun, escapist piece of fiction with an entertaining, enjoyable plot and lots of juicy details.

The blue castle