A botched robbery has unintended and desperate consequences, in Joan Barfoot’s exploration of anger, remorse and the capacity for forgiveness.

After years of disappointment, 49-year-old Isla is finally content in her second marriage to Lyle. Roddy, on the other hand, is a faltering student - and occasional shoplifter - trying to make sense of his 17-year-old life. Their worlds collide one hot August afternoon when a fake hold-up organised by Roddy and his friend Mike goes horribly wrong, leaving Isla with a bullet lodged in her spine.

Longlisted
The Man Booker Prize 2002
Published by
The Women's Press
Publication date
Joan Barfoot

Joan Barfoot

About the Author

A Canadian novelist’s potent story of small town life and a middle-aged woman and restless 17-year-old boy whose lives are changed after a chance and tragic meeting in an ice-cream parlour.
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