and the Kitchens are killed outright. Mary and her boyfriend Lars are at the cinema, and leave immediately for the nearest shelter. Mary, a nurse, badly wants to get to the hospital, but Lars makes her wait until the all clear sounds. Later at the hospital, Mary sees her mother brought in unconscious. Colin meets his Cockney schoolmate Terry at the shelter, and although they have been at odds before, the common experience brings them closer. As their fish shop has been destroyed, Colin invites Terry back to his house to sleep, not knowing it has also been bombed. Instead, they camp out in the fields. The next day, it is clear that despite devastating damage to the city centre, the cathedral has been largely spared, raising morale. Colin and Terry decide to use some of the no-longer frozen fish from the shop to provide free food for their neighbours. They cook all day and win praise for their efforts. It is the beginning of a new phase of life for Colin, more independent and adult. The other family members do not fare so well, although they find a new home. Mr Lockwood is overwhelmed at work, Mrs Lockwood recovers, but misses her home, Mary is depressed and haunted by the injuries she has seen, and June mourns for all her beloved books and toys. Characters Colin Lockwood, a 14-year-old Devon schoolboy June Lockwood, his younger sister, still at junior school Mary Lockwood, his older sister, a student nurse Brenda Lockwood, their mother, the assistant manageress at Nimrod's, an expensive dress shop Ron Lockwood, their father, a verger at the cathedral Terry Wootton, Colin's classmate, one of the London evacuees Mrs Wootton, Terry's mother, who runs a fish shop in Exeter since her shop in London was bombed Mr Kitchen, a history teacher recalled from retirement due to the war Pam Foster, June's best friend Mr and Mrs Foster, Pam's parents Lars, Mary's boyfriend, a ballet-dancer who has just been called up Lorna Wimbleball, a visitor from Nimrod's head office in Kensington Allusions to actual history As the author explains in the Introduction, the novel is not intended to be an exact reconstruction of the air raid: most notably, there was no raid on the previous night (the earlier, less damaging raids having taken place in late April), and the actual raid started at around 1am on 4 May rather