Guernica Editions

Fintan O'Neill's no hero. There's not a lot of money in 17th century Ireland, but the likeable, withdrawn 15-year-old's the poorest kid in Waterford, living on a small tenant farm with a tough cynical mother, forced to do what she's had to for her and her boy to survive. The sudden arrival of Fintan's older cousin Ruari, an ex-soldier with a troubled past, has turned Fintan's world upside down. Appointing himself a stand in father figure, Ruari leads Fintan into a world of vice and violence. But Fintan never thought an evening pub venture would end up in Ruari's death....