* A New Statesman Most Anticipated Title for 2023 *
From an award-winning Scottish poet, an unforgettable novel about
memory and radical forgiveness
How far would you go to overcome the limits of your own forgiveness?
Quinn is serving a life sentence for a crime he's convinced he hasn't
committed. Surely the authorities have got it wrong, and when they find
his childhood sweetheart, Andrea, his name will be cleared. His parole
is drawing near when he receives an unexpected letter from Andrea's
mother, who invites Quinn to share her home.
It soon becomes apparent that what appears to be a genuine act of
forgiveness is influenced by more complex motivations. As they navigate
the thorny terrain of guilt, justice and mutual need that underpins
their relationship, the story of Quinn's past is gradually revealed,
setting in motion a final reckoning.
Em Strang's first novel is a hypnotic rendering of an unravelling mind
and a visceral story about the very limits of forgiveness.