The central conflict arises from Alice Langton's persistent, irreconcilable tension between her Australian roots and her idealized vision of European civilization. Alice seeks to anchor her identity within the traditional structures of Europe, yet her repeated attempts to transplant her life result in personal tragedy and social displacement. The narrative framework utilizes a non-linear approach, reconstructing Alice's life through the fragmented perspectives of her diary entries, family gossip, and the recollections of her relative, Arthur. These disparate accounts serve to examine the psychological cost of her social aspirations and the inevitable decay of the lifestyle she attempts to purchase.

Readers and critics frequently highlight the precision of Martin Boyd's prose in capturing the nuances of social class and cultural displacement. Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of the multi-layered narrative, which allows the reader to piece together Alice's character from conflicting accounts. Many observers note the balance between the atmospheric descriptions of European settings and the internal psychological development of the protagonist. The work is often praised for its ability to avoid sentimentality while exploring the tragic consequences of Alice's choices. Readers frequently point to the book's examination of family legacy as a primary driver of the narrative's enduring interest.