The birthday party / Roisin Meaney.

Another summer is in full swing on the island of Roone, and preparations are underway for a big birthday party at the local hotel. But beneath the air of celebration, many of the islanders have their own struggles to contend with. Imelda, isolated by her recent heartbreak, has no memory of accepting a month-long Bed & Breakfast booking, but when a stranger turns up on her doorstep looking forward to his stay, she has little choice but to take him in. On the other side of the world, Tilly packs her bag for a visit to Roone to spend time with her sister Laura and her long-distance boyfriend Andy, wholly unaware of the trauma that awaits her there. Meanwhile, Laura is struggling to digest a startling confession when she finds her stepmother on her doorstep, young son in tow, having left her husband. During six weeks of summer, love and friendships are tested - and, as the day of the party approaches, the various truths will out in unexpected ways.