 A dark and complex novel, it centres on Matty - introduced in chapter one as a naked child emerging horribly disfigured from a bomb explosion during the London Blitz in World War II.He becomes a ward of the state and is put into a Catholic boarding school, where he is shunned by the others.When he grows up, however, his selfless kindness and mysterious persona attract a devoted following of people who believe him to be a saint.