This is a book about adolescence, without the usual angst and guilt. The Setting is Midlands Ireland in the 1960"s, when Irish society had new values and challenges to consider. The lives of two boys are irrevocably changed by the spirited Leonie, maid to Commandant Francis Connolly of the Curragh. Cormac, the Commandant"s nephew, conspires with her to defy the oppressive army lifestyle of his adoptive home, and he becomes her accomplice in her affair with Corporal Bill Dwyer. This arrangment is complicated when Cormac becomes best friends with Eddie, the Corporal"s son. The intense relationship between the boys as they grow up is told with insight and humor.