by Anna Burns
First published 2019
Aoileann clocks in at another meaningless day at her dead-end job. The young woman carries trauma from her past and feels unwanted by the world around her. She fantasizes about transformation into someone strong and capable, someone others would admire. A random meeting changes everything when she encounters an unlikely band of outcasts preparing for a risky undertaking. Aoileann decides to join them, desperate to demonstrate her value. The mission tests her resolve as fear and self-doubt threaten to overwhelm her. The group encounters obstacles they never anticipated, pushing each member beyond their limits. Aoileann discovers that heroism looks different than she imagined, learning to value the particular qualities that define her identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Africa
Period: 21st-century
127 pages · Paperback · Faber & Faber
Content warnings: mental-illness