The Elements

Each of the four interwoven stories in this book is named after an element: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. And each one portrays a different perspective on the same event in the aftermath of child abuse: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator and the victim. Despite its weighty themes, this book is absorbing and readable but disturbing, dealing with contemporary but timeless themes such as sexual abuse, fame and its glittering but hollow wealth, the influence of the media and tabloids, and parent-child relationships. In **Water**, a mother moves to a remote island, trying to escape her true identity after a scandal. **Earth** tells the tale of a young gay footballer, accused of being an accomplice in a rape case. In **Fire**, a brilliant but intimidating doctor in a burns unit is confronted with her childhood trauma. And in Air, a father and son travelling by plane are on their way to a surprise encounter. An engrossing, unputdownable book that will challenge you to confront your own views on guilt and innocence.