This is the story of an illegitimate son and the mother who decided to keep rather than destroy him. It is the story, too, of a foster mother who loved children, and of her extended family. Begun in homage to both mothers, the book also became the story of a son's search for the sexual vitality of his lost father.
Highly acclaimed by critics, this extraordinary and moving autobiography recreates vividly the atmosphere of a Sydney suburb around World War I, and subtly explores the changing times and values of his childhood.
