Book excerpt: This is a true story of a young boy growing up in a North Midland town, later a city and of 2 ladies who would have a profound effect on his life. All 3 were born, either in the middle or at the end of the 2 greatest wars of the 20th century and into a society that was to see the enormous changes over the last 100 years. It is a love story, a penitence and one which I hope will let the reader know that with a little bit of luck and hard work, the art of the impossible is possible.