One stormy night in the eighteenth century, a coach came thundering down the long hill outside of Dorking on its usual journey into London. But something unusual was to happen that night as one of the passengers unexpectedly gave birth to a child. Not until he was eight did Sam Chichester discover that the coachman and guard he called 'Ma and 'Pa' were not his real parents. Sam will need to grow up, leave home, and find love before he will finally uncover the truth about his parentage. Leon Garfield was the acclaimed author of more than thirty novels for children and adults. He received many accolades during his career, including the inaugural Guardian Children'e(tm)s Fiction Prize, the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Literary Award.