10 years ago, Ches was left on a Cheltenham doorstep in a plastic bag, with a letter from his birth mother. The letter is his to read tomorrow, on his birthday. Ches panics, not ready to face his fears, and runs away from his unusual but fiercely loving adoptive family. Angry and scared he finds refuge for the night in a garden shed determined to avoid his birthday the next day.
He falls into the hands of his school tormentor, Raffy. Raffy disguises Ches as a girl and leads him astray on an unforgettable birthday adventure on bikes and trains to Brean Down near Weston-Super-Mare. Is Raffy a new friend or still an enemy? Both Ches and Raffy are seeking an answer to the same, universal questions - am I lovable? Am I loved? A life and death moment nudges them towards discovering some answers for themselves.
So how can Nana Lil, befuddled by too much alcohol sloshing around in her brains, be of any help to Ches? Isn't she the very last person he needs right now?
Heart-warming and vivid, Moth Boy is a compelling adventure story.
