In 1948, a socially awkward cricket-obsessed London schoolboy wants to kiss a classmate, his co-star in a play.

Alan Duckworth (known as 'Quack Quack' to his friends) is a socially awkward fourteen-year-old who is obsessed with cricket and Ann Lawton, a girl in his class. Alan daydreams throughout his day, showing up late for school and making little academic progress. He becomes friends with the groundsman Tommy, whom he sees as some sort of war hero. Alan often follows Tommy around, telling him how Tommy helped to win the war, while making predictions about what the post-war world will be like. Among other things, Alan predicts that there will be no more wars, everyone will speak Esperanto and everyone, regardless of race or creed, will have a Teasmade.—GusF