London, 1945. 14-year-old Nathaniel and his sister, Rachel, are apparently abandoned by their parents, left in the care of an enigmatic figure named The Moth. They suspect he might be a criminal, but don't know for sure. A dozen years later, Nathaniel begins to uncover all he didn't understand at that time, and it is this journey - through reality, recollection, and imagination - that is told in this magnificent novel. The highly anticipated new novel by the author of "The English Patient".