The Heart's Invisible Furies

In 2015, a ghost tells 70-year-old Cyril Avery he will soon die. Assured that he will rejoin lost loved ones, Cyril experiences a previously elusive peace. Cyril was born in Dublin in 1945 to an unwed teenager. His adoptive parents are eccentric and distant, though they shelter him from intolerance and cruelty as he comes to terms with his sexuality in a repressive Ireland. Cyril's life story is extraordinary, tragic, and triumphant and somehow revolves around his recurring acquaintance with the brave and resilient Mrs. Goggin. She's a sort of guardian angel in his formative years, but in middle age Cyril finds himself consoling his aging, vulnerable protector as she faces tragedy in her own remarkable life. Their compassion for each other ultimately leads them on a mutual quest for closure and renewal.