The main characters are three Thomases from three different centuries: Tom of the twentieth century, Thomas Rowley of the seventeenth, and Macey (an old diminutive of Thomas) from ancient Roman Britain. Other Toms include Thomas Venables (Rowley's former rival) and the "Tom's a-cold" lines from Shakespeare's King Lear. "Thomas" means "twin."

The modern Tom is a brilliant eighteen-year-old about to enter Oxford.

At first he seems thoroughly unpleasant. He feels sorry for himself, tries to foist his guilt on others, and uses his wit to take cheap shots at his parents.

In short, he has a chip on his shoulder.

But as his story unfolds, he emerges as someone who is only responding to problems that threaten to overwhelm him. He is serious about his work and his love for Jan, but he lives in a trailer with prying parents who treat him without...