Summary

The novel is narrated by Nathaniel as he looks back on the events of his life. Nathaniel was born in London, and in 1945, he and his sister Rachel were being raised by a man whom they called “The Moth” (6) as a nickname. The Moth was generally quiet and gentle like a moth. Nathaniel was 14 years old, and Rachel was almost 16. Their father worked for Unilever and had left the country to work temporarily at a Unilever office in Singapore. Nathaniel and Rachel’s mother left the country soon after their father to go stay with their father. The parents planned to return in about one year. Rachel’s mother performed non-combat duties during the war. Now, Nathaniel looks back on potential clues relating to a secret of his mother's that was revealed to him later. Nathaniel does not yet name the secret. Digressing, Nathaniel...