"Heaven Lies About Us" recounts Spring's childhood in Cardiff during the closing years of the 19th century. He grew up in an impoverished but loving family and left school at age 12 to support them after his father's death. The path of a writer:  Spring's memoir details his humble beginnings working as an errand boy for a newspaper. This experience was his first step into the world of journalism and literature, which he pursued through evening classes, before later becoming a best-selling author.