
A Handful of Earth
by Gunay Ahmad
Ten-year-old Michael is buffeted by the storm of his parents' collapsing marriage. He tries to placate Mum, but her dramatic mood swings unnerve him. When Dad comes back into his life with a new partner, Michael can't resist the lure of a holiday in Italy. When they are away Mum disappears. Can Michael adapt to his new life with Dad: new school, new friends, a chance to be in the 5-a-side football team? Or, with the spectre of Mum still looming large, will he be driven in a different direction?