Louise Soraya Black

The novel looks at the challenges of balancing a woman’s loyalty towards, and love for, her family, with her loyalty to herself. It considers motherhood in a unique way, exploring it in extreme circumstances: there are few stories about relationships between wives/mothers and teenage boys. The story is sometimes uncomfortable to read—and is meant to be—challenging social norms and expectations....

The death of Claire’s parents triggers troubled memories of her past life in Jakarta, a time that Claire has been running away from her whole life. Haunted by guilt and the terrible misunderstandings and accusations that forced her to leave the city as a teenager, she decides to travel back in the hope of finding answers and perhaps forgiveness. Is...