A novel for adult readers. "My name, for the record, is Colin Wood. What follows is my story, such as it is..." Colin is a sensitive boy, born into the tough, uncompromising environment of a coal-mining village in North-East England. He seems destined to plough a lonely furrow until a chance meeting with another boy of his own age, Yule Marshall, leads to a mutual understanding without need of words, and the birth of an enduring and profound friendship. Through the years their deepening bond ensures they are always there to support one another through life's inevitable triumphs and heartaches, but even in their darkest moments they cannot envisage the shocking challenge awaiting them; a challenge that could test any relationship to breaking point.