the story contains many elements of the author's own childhood and upbringing, albeit idealised. like the author, the protagonist, judith earle, grew up privately educated in a large riverbank house in buckinghamshire, but unlike the author, judith is an only child, with her only playmates being the five cousins next door: julian, charlie, roddy, martin and mariella. childhood friendships develop into romantic entanglements that continue as judith leaves home for girton college, cambridge. judith's brief romantic involvement with jennifer, a fellow student, scandalized contemporary readers.