All people see is what is in front of them. You will never see the coils of intertwining roots under the tree if you stand at the edge of a forest. It is impossible to know if a book has an attractive story if you only read the first ten pages. If you want to know someone, you must see their every ugly, embarrassing, bafflingly beautiful moments. And people know this. They know this very well, yet first impressions are monumental obstacles to overcome. The first impression of George was not the most encouraging. He always wore a cynical smile and spoke indignant to others, and he always looked like he was silently judging you from the corner of his eye. But to Clay? There was so much more to George. There had to be more to him than a pretty face and pensive eyes. Clay was sure of it. He just needed to read. *Set in 1940s England during the Second World War **TW//allusions to homophobia, violence, self-injurious behaviour, etc.