First published 2003
Clara walks alone along the cliffs of Killiney Hill, humming opera arias to soothe her wounded spirit. At thirty-five, she has fled back to Dublin from New York after a devastating love affair left her broken. The solitary walks help her heal from both emotional and physical damage. One day a man approaches her on the clifftop, convinced she plans to harm herself. This strange misunderstanding sparks an unexpected relationship between two damaged people. Their connection unfolds with frustration and confusion, but also genuine sharing and empathy. Clara had always traveled to escape her suffocating family, but this encounter with another wounded soul might give her something different. Both struggle with their own pain, yet their bond offers the possibility of renewal and rebirth.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: damaged-characters, second-chance
Setting: Dublin, Killiney Hill, New York
Period: 21st-century
248 pages · Paperback · BELFOND
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness