First published 2022
Sarah finds herself abandoned in a house that was supposed to represent their future together. The empty rooms echo with plans that will never happen. Meanwhile, Orla must navigate her husband's peculiar act of vengeance when he forces her to judge a local fête contest. In the countryside, Peter has withdrawn from society entirely, raising his daughter in isolation so complete it feels like the world's edge. These three lives unfold against a backdrop where private struggles mirror larger national tensions. Kennedy weaves together stories of people whose personal crises become entangled with political forces beyond their control. The characters face moments where their small worlds collide with bigger dramas playing out across the country. Each must find ways to continue when relationships fracture and familiar structures collapse around them.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-crisis
Setting: Cul de Sac
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Bloomsbury Publishing PLC