This is the second volume of The Flax of Dream and represents ‘Boyhood’ in HW’s overall scheme.

Dandelion Days continues the story of Willie Maddison’s young life, jumping several years from where we left him on his tenth birthday at the end of The Beautiful Years. As this book opens the sensitive lad is almost fifteen years old, but is rather weedy and looks much younger. His great friend Jack Temperley is younger by a year but much sturdier and developed. As rebellious adolescent boys they are enduring the confines of Colham School with its severe headmaster, Mr Rore (known by the boys as ‘The Bird’), and his idiosyncratic staff, whilst enjoying the innocent pranks and pastimes, such as roaming the countryside and collecting birds’ eggs, that occupy and enliven young boys (or did then); meanwhile dealing also with the uncertain turbulences of growing manhood and first love

Part of The Faber Library No:9