Michaela Saunders

So into this world, something must come to make a story.

And it comes in the form of an uncle.

His name is Reggie and he has been missing for years and years.

In fact, we slowly learn that the mother Louise and Reggie had a dreadful childhood and were taken care of by strangers, the Hartmans, and eventually were wrenched apart when a crisis occurred.

And we're not quite sure what that is.

But for some reason, Reggie's turning back up after all these years and years where Louise really could have done with some help having been widowed in World War II.

Yes, and I think Reggie himself actually sort of utters the words that these boys are in need of a father.

They've been hungry for a man in the house and in part he satisfies that for a while.

When he first arrives, he talks to each boy and gets a sense of them, first Lawrence and then Paul.

And then quite quickly after that, he gives them both a gift.

And each gift is perfectly matched to the boys' interests and also their abilities.

So young Paul, the eight-year-old, who is a sporty boy and just got a natural gift in athletics, he gives him shin pads for playing cricket.

He's a mad cricketer.

And he gives Lawrence this book, Letters from the Masters.

And this is so spot on.

It's a book about art and full of pictures of masterworks.

But importantly, it's letters written by artists to their mentors or to people in their lives who they are able to even have a conversation about art.

So fantastic.

Reggie's got this uncanny knack for knowing what each child wants and what each child holds in their heart.

The only thing you can say is don't read the back page.