In this sweeping debut set against the Troubles, tragedy pulls a young photographer into the heart of the conflict and she discovers that love and loyalty rarely survive untouched.

Derry, 1972. Cara Connelly has known Malachy O'Malley all her life. He's her brother Liam's closest friend and the one who steadied her through her mother's death and the grief that followed. But at the height of the Troubles, violence becomes an inescapable part of daily life, and the boys she grew up with begin to walk starkly different paths.

Liam believes in peaceful protest, while Malachy is drawn to the IRA. Cara, caught between them, turns to photography as a way to make sense of the chaos around her, and maybe even a path toward a life beyond it. As her bond with Malachy deepens into something undeniable, she is pulled into a world of secrecy, where every moment spent waiting for his safe return is agony.

When tragedy strikes, Cara is thrust deeper into the conflict in unexpected ways. As the cost of every decision rises, she must navigate a dangerous balancing act between love, loyalty, and survival.