Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a fifteen year old Irish teenager, growing up in a family where crime is customary, violence is necessary, and everything and anyone is yours for the taking. Their paths collide one afternoon in West Belfast, culminating in a horrific act of violence. Vivian tries to recapture the woman she was, as she struggles with a culture and judicial system that treats assault victims as less than human. Johnny flees to his transitory Irish clan, but is forced to confront the chain of events leading up to the attack. When Johnny is finally brought to reckon for his crimes, Vivian learns that justice is neither as swift nor as fair as she would hope. Told from both Vivian's and Johnny's perspectives, and inspired by true events, this novel explores how a dark chapter can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.