Ada Ou L'Ardeur. Chronique Familiale

The Castle of Ardis—the Ardours and the Trees of Ardis—this is the leitmotif that recurs in pearly waves in Ada, a vast and delightful chronicle, the greater part of which is set in a dreamlike America—for are not our childhood memories comparable to the caravels sailing towards Vineland, indolently circled by the white birds of dreams? The protagonist, heir to one of our most illustrious and opulent families, is Dr. Van Veen, son of Baron "Demon" Veen, a memorable personality of Reno and Manhattan. The end of an extraordinary era coincides with Van's no less extraordinary childhood. There is nothing in world literature, except perhaps the reminiscences of Count Tolstoy, that can compete in pure joy, Arcadian innocence, with the chapters of this book that deal with "Ardis."