Conrad treats the controversial issues of spouse abuse, divorce and alcoholism with honesty and sensitivity.

She distances readers from the worst of the violence—Ted Walker's beating of his wife Mary—by having Mary report it in her diary. Furthermore, the diary entries focus primarily on the emotional, rather than the physical damage of the attacks.

Admittedly, Ted Walker's drunken invasion of the Lewis house and his pursuit of Robin is an ugly, frightening episode. Walker, while on his destructive rampage, behaves like a maddened, brutal animal. Although terrorized by the event, Robin escapes with only a bruised ankle, a small price to pay for a powerful picture of the denial, violence, and personality changes common to many alcoholics. Conrad's purpose in creating this episode is not didactic, but it may be an eye-opener for readers who have never witnessed such a behavior first-hand...