Kathy H studied at Hailsham, a private boarding school in England with several other children. She was particularly close to Ruth and Tommy, and the three of them were inseparable. Hailsham seems like a regular, pleasant school, where teachers are called “guardians”, and the children are strongly encouraged to produce art. The best pieces of art are selected for a “gallery”.
There are clues earlier on, that something is not quite right. There is never any mention of family, or a life beyond the school. But over time, it is revealed that all children at the school are meant to be “donors”. They have been brought into the world for the explicit purpose of reaching a specific age, and then donating their organs. They have no life, not dreams or future beyond this purpose.
Kathy, as a carer, eventually becomes the carer for her old friend Ruth, who was in a relationship with Tommy years earlier, and recognized that it was Tommy and Kathy who really connected. She encourages Kathy to reconnect with the old Hailsham administration, to see if they can help in some way.
The book has an uneasyu tone throughout, and the reader often has to reread sections with furrowed brows when something really unusual is casually mentioned as a matter of course. It all clicks in place as the key elements of the story are revealed, though. The title is a name of a song that Kathy really likes, a song which is revealed to be a plot point later. An excellent read.