J. R. Ackerley investigates the hidden life of his father while simultaneously documenting his own development as a gay man in early twentieth-century England. Ackerley, a noted literary editor and writer, utilizes his father's posthumous papers and his own personal recollections to reconstruct a family history defined by secrets and emotional distance. The narrative functions as both a biographical inquiry into a patriarch's double life and a candid examination of the author's own search for identity and intimacy within a restrictive social framework.

Critics and readers frequently identify this work as a foundational text in the genre of queer memoir due to its unflinching honesty and stylistic precision. Experts often highlight the book's psychological depth and its role in challenging the social conventions of its time.