All five of the stories are set in various regions of Great Britain, such as the Isle of Skye ("Hitch-hiker"), Cornwall ("Blackham's Wimpey"), and the seaside resort of Graymouth ("Sergeant Nice"). Four of them take place in indeterminate contemporary times, while "Blackham's Wimpey," is set in one of Westall's favorite subjects, the years of World War II. The author's youth was profoundly marked by the events and experiences of the war years, and his writing shows it. Indeed, some critics have declared "Blackham's Wimpey" to be the collection's masterpiece because of its realistic communication of the psychological stress war creates.

Although American readers may experience some initial difficulty in understanding Westall's references to local places, customs, people, and objects, the unfamiliar "backwater town" settings and curious Briticisms of his language should not stand in the way of their enjoyment. By using plots and themes familiar to readers of...