This novel is about its narrator, David Meredith, and his journey into adulthood during the mid-20th century. This novel is part of a trilogy.
As a young teen in Melbourne, David discovered journalism in response to World War II. He tells of his life in Australia living in the shadow of his older brother Jack, whom he describes as being more stereotypically Australian. In other words, his brother fits in, but he feels that he doesn't.
Once David has discovered his calling as a writer, and once he has accomplished a career in journalism, he reflects on the feelings he used to have toward his older brother. Now, he sees his brother Jack as the product of his situation, having been raised during the Great Depression. He was grittier than most, and likable, and many respected him for being a hard worker and for never complaining about his station in life.
In contrast, David's personal life is less admirable, and he spends his time in more intellectual ways than his brother. He notices that Jack has benefitted differently from his life, even though they went different ways. David pegs Jack as a standard Australian man, a salt-of-the-earth type, who was forced to rapidly adjust to a modernizing world.
