First published 2009
Florian Kilderry cycles into Rathmoye with his camera, planning to photograph the ruins of the town's burned cinema. Instead he finds himself capturing images of mourners at Mrs. Connulty's funeral. The Connultys own much of this sleepy Irish town, but Florian knows nothing of local politics or power. Outside town, Ellie tends to her duties as the young wife of Dillahan, a widowed farmer who married the convent girl he hired as help. Her days follow predictable rhythms while her husband works the land. Florian intends to leave Ireland behind and begin fresh elsewhere. Ellie has accepted her role in Dillahan's household and the security it provides. When the photographer and the farmer's wife meet, their encounter ignites something neither expected. What begins as chance conversation grows into something more dangerous. Their connection threatens the careful order of Ellie's arranged life and Dillahan's trust. Trevor captures how a single summer can upend the settled patterns of a small community, where everyone watches and few secrets survive long.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: chance-encounter, forbidden-love, second-chance
Setting: Ireland, Rathmoye
Period: 20th-century
224 pages · Hardcover · Viking Adult