It's astonishing what people can bear, as astonishing as the things people can do to one another. This is the story of one boy and the pain he suffered at the hands of people - adults - who should have known better. John is one of too many children for his mum to cope with alone while his dad is off fighting in the Second World War, so he is sent to a foster family for the duration. However, they aren't much of a family, and John is subjected to some appalling abuse. He is only six years old. Things seem to look up for John when his father returns from the war to rescue him and, at last, his life starts to return to normal. However, this stability is short lived as an incident in the boxing ring kick starts a chain of events which lead John to a high-class school and the chance of improving his chances in life. He soon discovers, however, that the 'other half' live just as painfully as he does and he is forced to marshal all his survival skills to get himself and his brother through the ordeal. This is the true story of how a boy survives circumstances that should never have come to pass, and becomes a good man against the odds.