Swallowing the Sun

A heartbreaking story of tragedy and of the past catching up with a father in modern-day Northern Ireland



'One of the shrewdest observers of the way we live now' Independent

'Park is an excellent writer; psychologically astute, lyrically unflinching' Telegraph

'He writes prose of gravity and grace' Guardian



Having survived a brutal childhood in the heart of Belfast, Martin has built a life that he never imagined, and always fears he does not deserve. He has a devoted wife, a son and a daughter whose academic success is launching her out of her proud father's orbit.



Returning home one night to find police cars waiting, he thinks his sins have finally caught up with him, but instead the news is wholly unexpected; a senseless and devastating tragedy. And in the face of the trauma, which tears his fragile family apart, Martin finds that the violence of his past has not gone but is merely dormant; its call must be answered.