So It Is

Spanning the decades that saw Northern
Ireland move from brutal conflict to uncertain peace in the 1990s, this impressive debut is both a political coming-of-age novel and a fast-paced literary thriller.
Aoife, growing up in 1980s Belfast, finds herself the last line of defence between the violence of the
Troubles and her family. As her mother sinks deeper into a medicated stupor, and her father seeks comfort in local bars, Aoife cares for her brother
Damien, trying to keep him out of harm’s way,
while all around her friends and neighbours are swept up in the conflict.
Meanwhile Cassie, a Republican paramilitary honeytrap, seduces her victims, inflicting lasting damage. But her infamous tactics have their repercussions, and before long her past catches up with her.