'Luminous, intelligent and sincere' Colin Walsh, author of Kala

'A book of rare grace and presence' Megan Hunter

'Each paragraph arrives like a short, beautiful breath' Andrew Andrew McMillan

__________


Just so we’re clear, she had said, I know the rules of confession. What I say cannot be repeated. Not to anyone...

When Mack O'Brien left his home in Port Talbot for the seminary as a teenager, he didn't imagine he'd be back a decade later, unordained and at war with his faith. Back in his childhood bedroom, he remains committed to the idea of a moral life, but isn't entirely sure what that looks like.

He takes a job as a security guard at the local steelworks and begins an uneasy transition into the world of industry, brotherhood, and community he once rejected. When the men of the steelworks organise an unprecedented strike in protest against job cuts, he goes along with it. 

The last person Mack expects to see in the local club is Siwan Roderick - the woman who appeared out of the blue at the seminary one day to make a confession and swore him to secrecy. Mack kept his word. But as the day of the strike nears, tensions in the town escalate and allegiances are tested. Mack's loyalty to Siwan and his desperation to do the right thing will change both of their lives forever.