AustLit

'Mattie Finch is a kid living with his aunt in Ireland in 1990.

'He often talks to his mother, but he hasn't seen his father Dave for six months.

'Dave's been trying to face his family, but there are just too many demons. He can't forget how he and his brother Stephen escaped the troubles of Northern Ireland ten years earlier. He is haunted by what happened when they met June and her sister Susan, and the irreversible changes the town of Stonebridge brought to their lives .

'A shattering and redemptive story of fathers and sons, and the power of memory.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Sean is in Nepal on a trek through some of the most beautiful - and dangerous - country in the world. His path takes him not just to the spectacular Annapurna mountains, but deep into territory held by Maoist guerrillas determined to overthrow the Nepalese government.

'Yet the local people are friendly, the air is clear, and it's easy to become accustomed to the national dish of dhal bat for every meal.

'With each step, however, Sean's thoughts turn towards home and his family in Dublin, and it becomes clear that the obstacles he faces are greater than the threat of guerrillas demanding 'donations' and the occasional stubborn travelling companion.

'Why did he leave Ireland so hurriedly? Why didn't he tell his family where he was? What makes his guide, Maila, look at him so strangely? And what about the beautiful Serena, who has inspired him to take this journey, last seen on an idyllic beach in India?

'As Sean travels through Nepal, events run out of his control, and to survive he must find the courage to confront his secret once and for all...' (Publisher's blurb)