It was Edward Bach himself who determined the content of this book.  Just before his nineteenth birthday, he painted the picture that appears on the front cover. Down the centre are the things he cherished most.  At the very top stands the Yeomanry, followed by a beach hut, the city of Birmingham and his parents. Also at the top are two significant women, watching over events like guardian angels. Their presence occurs elsewhere in the work, a testament to their importance in Bach’s family life.

Below a broad band of illustrations celebrates the joy of holidays.  Beneath this, smoke rises from the factories of Birmingham, though it never quite reaches the green fields of Moseley.  Here we glimpse his grandfather - and Bach himself - working in the foundry.   There is also an image of evenings absorbed in study, as he readies himself for university entrance, while nearby a mysterious young girl weeps in deep distress.

At the bottom all is well. Bach depicts his own transformation: from babyhood, through a phase as a ‘dandy,’ to a saint—albeit one smoking a pipe.  Above, he inscribes the word ‘absolute -‘existing without being dependent on anything else’.  It was a vow he strove to honour throughout the rest of his life. Now, read on to uncover some of the hidden stories woven into the Bach’s canvas and some not such as the comparison between his upbringing and Tolkein’s.