Illicit Love

The main theme of the book is the illicit love relationship between Ada and Van. They fall in love as children. Van is thirteen when they first meet and Ada is eleven or twelve. Van is attracted to Ada as soon as he sees her. They are just children and spend most of their time together. Soon they begin to kiss and caress and then become lovers that first summer. When Van leaves for school that fall, he demands that Ada be faithful to him. For the next four years, they communicate by letter and then Van returns to Ardis Hall. He is anxious about Ada, not yet sixteen, having other suitors and at first she is cool to him, but their relationship resumes that first night. They do whatever they can to spend time together, often having to lose the younger Lucette. Then Van learns that...