There were many things Blake Morrison's mother never told him. Upon her death, he discovers a cache of letters written between his mother and father during World War II. Through this correspondence, Morrison uncovers the difficult truths of his parents' relationship and the changes his mother underwent, from her name to her religion.

Carefully interspersing these letters with his own recollections from childhood, Morrison has created an honest and loving yet unsentimental telling of a mother's story - and a son's determination to uncover the truth.