Summary

The novel opens in 1981. 60-year-old Juliet Armstrong, having just left a classical music concert, was hit by a car and lay in the road. A bystander was standing over her trying to keep her conscious. She thought of her son, Matteo, who lived in Italy. The streets were draped with Union Jack flags because a royal wedding was imminent. The chapter ends as she mutters, “This England” (4).

Part II begins in 1950 with a chapter titled “Mr. Toby! Mr. Toby!” (7). Juliet arrived at work at Schools, a division of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) responsible for children's educational programming. She attended a dull meeting with her boss, Mr. Prendergast, and her co-workers Charles Lofthouse, Daisy Gibbs, and Lester Pelling. Afterwards, she ate lunch in a park and saw a man she recognized. She chased after him, shouting his name, “Mr...