Louise Dean's confronting, humane, blackly funny second novel immerses us in the lives of two parents, two sons, two enemies - two ordinary families placed in the vice of history.
It is 1979. Kathleen's son Sean is in Belfast's most notorious prison - Long Kesh, also known as Maze. Kathleen knows he will join the other inmates on a non-cooperation protest, known as the blanket.
John Dunn has spent 20 years in the British army. He's done three tours of Belfast, found a girl and a house, and a new job as a prison guard. Over the next few weeks, both Kathleen and John will find their beliefs and their families at odds. Both will find a way to survive when the world around them is falling apart . . .
