This novella is set in Ireland in 1985, following Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in a small town. As Christmas approaches, Bill has a disturbing experience when he makes a discovery at a nearby convent. Keegan's writing is beautiful and atmospheric.

From the publisher: "It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas’ house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known and slowly, in their care, begins to blossom. But there is something unspoken in this new household—where everything is so well tended to—and this summer must soon come to an end."