. E ., ▁and ▁later ▁joined ▁the ▁staff . ▁ ▁The olog ian ▁Vern on ▁S pro xt on ▁commented ▁that ▁Hop kins ' ▁" most ▁form ative ▁thinking ▁took ▁place ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁qu ads ▁and ▁colleg es ▁and ▁punt ed ▁rivers ▁amongst ▁the ▁small ▁streets , ▁w are h ouses , ▁and ▁can als ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁End . ▁But ▁with ▁his ▁mod est ▁job ▁and ▁his ▁W ool worth ' s ▁do - it - your self ▁labor atory ▁he ▁produced ▁thought ▁to ▁which ▁few ▁Ph D ' s ▁have ▁approxim ated ." ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁clear ▁to ▁what ▁extent ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁aut obi ographical , ▁and ▁how ▁much ▁is ▁fict ional . ▁In ▁his ▁pre face ▁to ▁both ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁American ▁ed itions ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁Vern on ▁S pro xt on ▁remarks ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁seen ▁Anna ' s ▁draw ings ▁and ▁notes ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁her ▁to ▁be ▁real . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁uncertainty ▁about ▁Syd ' s ▁age ▁on ▁first ▁encounter ing ▁Anna . ▁ ▁Early ▁ed itions ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁say ▁he ▁was ▁nin ete en , ▁but ▁this ▁would ▁be ▁impossible ▁if ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁know ▁Anna ▁for ▁ 3 ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁latest ▁ed itions ▁of ▁M ister ▁God , ▁This ▁Is ▁Anna ▁his ▁age ▁has ▁been ▁am ended ▁to ▁six teen . ▁ ▁S ources ▁Mr ▁Ly ward ' s ▁Answer ▁by ▁Michael ▁Burn ▁( H am