In the country town of Turalla, Victoria in the early 1900s Alan Marshall had not long started school when he contracted the crippling disease poliomyelitis.

With the aid of crutches and a wheelchair, young Alan is able to attend school, where he makes new friends and confronts the class bully.

An interest in writing is awakened by Alan's experiences on his first trip away from home.

Nineteen-year-old Alan travels to Melbourne in search of a job and finds that few employers are eager to hire a handicapped person.

Alan receives word that Australia's leading literary magazine is preparing to publish his first story.

Because of his handicap, Alan is forced to work for half pay. Meanwhile, he travels the streets of Melbourne in search of material for his stories.

The year 1929 finds Alan working as an accountant in a boot factory, and falling in love for the first time.

The Depression takes its toll on the boot industry, so Alan helps his employer meet the payroll, and ultimately attempts to save the factory.