by Marian Keyes
First published 2009
Something watches from above as residents of a Dublin apartment block navigate their tangled lives. Fionn and Katie struggle with their failing relationship while their neighbors face their own crises. Maeve deals with family expectations and romantic disappointments. David wrestles with career pressures and personal demons. Jemima confronts the gap between her dreams and reality. As their stories intersect and collide, each character discovers that their seemingly separate problems are more connected than they realized. The mysterious observer sees how small acts of kindness and moments of cruelty ripple through the building, affecting everyone. Keyes weaves together humor and heartbreak as these ordinary people confront extraordinary challenges. Their struggles with love, loss, and the search for meaning create a tapestry of modern Irish life where hope emerges from unexpected places.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, interconnected-stories
Setting: Dublin
Period: 21st-century
477 pages · Paperback · Reader's Digest