The Australian Connection - First impression

After the first pages I can imagine Alex as the main character of this book.
Especially beeing confident and brave are some skills I've expected before reading.
And definitely he's because, before he had asked his mother or checked his results of the exam, he already wrote a letter to his father.
At all, the reaction of Alex' mother was to expect because mothers that have to breeded children alone are very doubtful opposite to the fathers.

The cover of the book