Set in 1952, the year of Elizabeth II's coronation (after a brief prologue set in 1968), The Virgin in the Garden has as a major part of its plot the casting, rehearsals, and performance of a play written by one of the characters about Elizabeth I. The differences in the two times but similarities of human nature are major concerns of the work.

Sexuality in most of its forms is chief among the work's social concerns.

Premarital, marital, extramarital, and homosexual relationships among the characters cause complications of the plot and suggest the problems that such relationships have posed throughout human history.

Family relationships are also important in the novel. A family is at its center, and the relationships among its members are complex and troubled.

The difficulty inherent in family relationships is also seen among the other characters, as is the necessity of young people's breaking away...