There are major themes of child abuse via confinement and gaslighting with scenes described in detail. Lucy's mother dies in a car accident off-page but it is described and her grief is shown in detail. Lord Lockwood is misogynistic and sexist on-page, and is described to have sexually, physically and emotionally abused multiple minor girls. There are secondhand accounts of domestic abuse and infidelity. The book is set during WWII and there is significant discussion of war and particularly the threat of air-raids and bombings. The main characters experience gaslighting on-page which leads to detailed descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks.