Timothy Young’s earliest memories are of war, of the ritual retreat to a neighbor’s bomb shelter with searchlights soaring overhead. He grows to adolescence in postwar England, a land of ration coupons, sacrifice, and vaguely perceived dissatisfactions.

But Timothy’s sister, Kath, has escaped all this. She works for the United States Army in Germany, with plenty to eat and access to things most English people only dream about. When Timothy goes to spend his summer holiday with Kath in Heidelberg, he leaves behind the boredom and grayness of London and discovers a world of color and flash – fancy cars, an incredibly well-stocked supermarket, glamourous parties – and experiences a way of life that will change him forever.