'The central character to the novel is Robert, who grew up in a small country town in north Queensland. It covers two years in his life from age fourteen to sixteen in years 1939/40. Robert's teen age years were far from ordinary. He had many exciting adventures and plenty of close relationships with several different girls. However he had really strong feelings for only one. A liaison which has a sad conclusion with an air of mystery. He was unusually shy in the presence of girls yet seemed to acquire many of them as his friends. His sexual urges were strong so that his friendship with girls had but one objective in mind - Sex! It took him a long time to learn that not all girls who were friendly towards him were necessarily promiscuous easy conquests.
'The first year of the narrative covers his year at High School in Cairns, his interaction with fellow students, and his difficulty in combining his academic interests with his liking for the company of girls. At the end of the academic year he returns home to further adventures in an environment he loves. Year two of the tale has Robert quitting High School and entering employment in various jobs in which he was always striving for recognition as someone older than he really was. He considered himself to be mature enough to be classified as an adult, although many of his actions belied this assessment. The novel ends with Robert aged sixteen entering an induction centre at an army base. Here in spite of his small stature and his obvious youth he finally achieves what he has been striving for, acceptance into an adult world. (Publication summary)
