Ferne Tollivera is on a mission. Now that Sparrow, her ward, has reached nine years of age, she reckons he needs a male role model in his life. With typical efficiency she sets about finding a father-figure by drawing up a series of checklists for each candidate, and following a strict protocol for interviewing them. So far, all the contenders have failed miserably to get enough ticks in the right boxes. But Ferne is focused and nothing...