I didnt want to be separate any more, I wanted to be the same as the grass and the leaves so wed all be the one thing and nothing could hurt us any more.


Ambitiously spanning both time and space in lyrical prose, The Dark Toy takes us on a surprising and always engaging journey: through the enigmatic landscapes of contemporary Ireland, the sultry sunsets of post-war France, and the sparse outback of apartheid South Africa.

Yet, however enthralling the natural beauty of these settings might be, the subversive side of human relationships always comes to the fore. A mothers artistic ambitions...