Summary

In “Lost Boys” by Deborah Moggach, the narrator is married to a man named Ewan, who is the son of a painter, Lily Frears. Although her husband often complains about his mother neglecting him as a child, the narrator, who comes from a typical British family, envies him.

The narrator describes Lily as a free, independent woman, and admires her life and her work. However, her husband’s stories about his mother always put the woman in a bad light. He tells the narrator how Lily sent him to boarding school and rarely came to visit, and how she lost him while painting a picture that the couple now have above their fireplace.

The narrator enjoys going to Lily’s flat in London and spending time with her. However, the situation changes when the narrator has her own children, Alexis and Cassandra....