Paul Kermack

After a spell in foster care and a homeless shelter, Jamie is conscripted into the Royal Air Force and sent to Egypt. Befriended by Robert, Jamie finds redemption in his new friendship. Their undemanding companionship releases Jamie from self-pity and allows him to pursue his artistic ambition.

1945: Jamie and Tommy live an isolated existence with their maternal grandmother in Newcraighall, a Scottish mining village. Jamie’s only friendship is with Helmuth, a German prisoner of war. With his mother in a mental institution, and his father absent, he is subject to the hardships of poverty.

The second part of the revered Bill Douglas Trilogy follows Jamie as he ends up in a children’s home.