NusuAbinem
The seventh installment in the "Family" series explores the bridge between two worlds, where the glitter of wealth meets the grit of survival.
Theo Sullivan has everything money can buy, yet he is hollowed out by a single absence: romantic love. While his mother, Lucie Sullivan, and their tight-knit family are his bedrock, the weight of his loneliness has become a burden he can no longer carry. On the other side of the city, Alexandra O'Connor lives in the shadow of poverty, raised in a household where hard work is a religion. Her mother, Natasha Kelly, is the family's heartbeat, fueling their spirits with inspiration at every dinner.
Driven by a desire to escape the oppression of her circumstances, Alex moves to a new neighborhood and finds work as a servant in the Sullivan estate. Theo, however, refuses to see her as a subordinate, choosing instead to offer her his friendship. When that friendship blossoms into a deep, mutual love, it seems the class divide has finally been conquered-until the "weird rulings" of Alex's household surface, threatening to forbid their union. Amidst their struggle, they must also support Henry Murphy, a man fighting to overcome the suffocating grip of addiction.
Set against a backdrop of Ireland, this story is a poignant exploration of equality, prejudice, and the restorative power of maternal support, being recommended for readers aged 12 and up.