In this sequel to 'Locomotion' Lonnie, addresses his thoughts to his younger sister, Lili, who lives away from him with a separate foster family. In that first novel, Lonnie filled notebooks with poems to express his feelings about the loss of his parents and his separation from his little sister. Now he sets himself the task of remembering for both of them everything that happens whilst they are apart, composing a sequence of letters to be saved as a present for Lili when they are reunited. His letters - both poignant and humourous - are full of reflections on his everyday life, his new family, his worries about his foster brother who is away at war, school, and his love of writing. They speak in the authentic voice of a boy on the verge of his 12th birthday, struggling to deal with the complexities life has thrown at him.