Older residents from other schools around the country are already there, and many of them are in couples. In Part 2, the characters move to the Cottages. He reunites with Ruth, and all three graduate from Hailsham. They fight occasionally and break up, but Tommy is more upset by the unexpected departure of Miss Lucy and wonders whether she was right to tell him to ignore his artistic side. When the students are teenagers, Ruth and Tommy begin to date. Kathy sees Madame but does not understand why she is crying. Kathy acquires an old cassette tape and becomes obsessed with a song titled “Never Let Me Go.” One day, Madame catches Kathy dancing to the song in her dorm and cries. The art is collected by a stern woman named Madame and taken away to the Gallery. Kathy and Tommy develop a theory that the art they produce is tied to the donations. Only Miss Lucy believes that the children should be fully informed about their purpose in life. The students are vaguely aware of the concept of donations, but the staff protect them from the realities of their futures. Another is a member of the staff, Miss Lucy, who helps Tommy stop worrying about his apparent lack of artistic talent. Kathy is one of the few people who reaches out to Tommy, and they develop a close bond.

Tommy, also in their year, struggles to control his anger and is often a victim of bullying. They play games and invent mysteries and conspiracies, though this inventiveness occasionally annoys Kathy. Kathy, a quiet girl, meets the more temperamental, assertive Ruth. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy attend a boarding school named Hailsham.

Never let me go book summary