At 15, Tony is beginning to ask questions about his hitherto accepted faith. His vicar father seems remote and worried, understandably as his wife, Tony's mum, has multiple sclerosis and is very ill. At the beginning of the novel she is weak, unable to feed herself or walk and has difficulty speaking. Tony is close to his mum and often provides her care, but he and his dad seem to be in denial over the situation. When Tony finds an injured seagull, he takes it home and provides care for it too. At least its broken wing can be mended. Tony finds it hard to accept sympathy from well-meaning teachers and friends and takes refuge with Gary, his none-to-sensitive chum. His burgeoning and quite delicate feelings for Clare mean that he can begin to confide in her, and she becomes important to him. His mum's death at the end of the book corresponds with his setting free the gull, and he comes to realise that his mum is free too, that she is where she wants to be. Faith comes into the story at several points, particularly Tony's mother's beliefs, but this is never heavy handed. The emotions are absolutely real and beautifully handled. We believe utterly in Tony and his family and feel they will come through their tragedy.