After losing two young sisters in a house fire, in an accident caused by drink and cigarettes, Rós and her family leave their home to live in a new council house. In the local community school she befriends Cormac, a middleclass boy who is trying to come to terms with his own problems; and encounters bullies who are every bit as bad as the bullies she has left behind in her school.
Rós’s story is entwined with the story of the idealistic teacher and his battles at school, the story of the priest who is wrestling with his alcohol addiction, and the story of the the local bullies. Through these stories, the author gets to grips with important aspects of contemporary society, and is a pleasure to read.