Eleven-year-old Ben has very different views from his parents and struggles with their inflexible parenting. While Mum and Dad indulge in their passion for ballroom dancing and urge him to consider becoming a dancer, Ben keeps his interest in plumbing a secret to avoid upsetting them. Meanwhile, Ben also has a troubled relationship with his granny until her mischievous plan turns his notions of her upside down. As Ben, his parents, and Granny navigate their relationships with each other, they learn that they have to respect each other’s differences to get along.

Throughout the story, Ben feels ashamed of his dream of entering the trades as a plumber when he grows up. He has long had a talent for the craft, as he “was as good with his hands as he was rubbish at reading” (30); however, Ben still felt embarrassed about his dream because it was less impressive than his parents’ hopes for him. Ben “always felt like a disappointment to his Mum and Dad” (30), making their relationship tense and distrustful.

Ben’s growing friendship with Granny provides him with an outlet for his anxieties and some reassuring acceptance from another parental figure.