Two gay lives, one comfortable and middle class, the other working class and difficult, are woven together in this comic novel set in England, Australia, and the high seas. Starting in the 1950s-and meeting at intervals throughout their lives-the two heroes of the story pursue their goals, with the orphan from the lower classes joining the Merchant Navy and becoming a steward on the Queen Elizabeth. This is British humor at its best-funny and charming even as it makes a poignant case against the snobbery of the middle classes.