Piper’s Son

Published in 2010, The Piper’s Son is about love, guilt and forgiveness in the context of family and friendship.

Novel Storyline

The story focuses on Francesa’s circle of friends and is told from the alternating points of view of Tom Mackee, aged 21, and his aunt Georgie, aged 42.

Tom abandoned the circle of friends and his sort-of girlfriend Tara after his beloved Uncle Joe was killed by a suicide bomber in London. Unable to handle his grief, Tom fell in with new friends who party hard.

After a particularly reckless night, Tom decides to leave his new friends. He moves in with his pregnant aunt, works on reconnecting with his old friends and sorts out his deep feelings for Tara. He also reunites with his separated parents (who parted ways after Tom’s dad started drinking (again) to deal with his grief).

It all sounds like the makings of a rather depressing novel. However, Tom’s family is loving and realistic despite being slightly dysfunctional. You share in Tom’s struggles to get his and other people’s lives on track.