Book One, Chapter 4 Summary

Theo recalls his mother's artistic endeavors. She would replicate prints and sell them to antique shops. He realizes in later years that this was how she afforded school trips, cricket bats, and extra books for him. Theo saw the happiness this hobby afforded his mother and wanted to contribute. He would hunt down prints for her, pay for the cheap ones, and steal the expensive ones. His mother never guessed or questioned his methods of procurement. He believed this service could erase the guilt of not loving her.

Theo has always felt responsible for other people's happiness. He traces this back to the death of his father in 1983. At the funeral he was told he was the man of the house and would have to look after his mother. He hated the thought of such a responsibility, but took...