Breaking Point: A gripping and incisively written debut that confronts every parent’s worst nightmare

Edel Coffey’s tale about the aftermath of the death of a child moves with the pace of a thriller while confronting the societal pressures felt by parents, and mothers in particular

Edel Coffey has written a compulsive debut that keeps you turning its pages even when the subject matter is deeply distressing. Picture: Bríd O’Donovan

FICTION

Breaking Point

By Edel Coffey

Sphere, €18.90

Susannah Rice is one of the United States’ best-known children’s doctors. Not only is she Professor of Paediatrics at a top Manhattan hospital, she’s also a regular talk show guest who’s written a slew of bestselling books on parenting. She’s married to a successful engineer and has two beautiful daughters.

When Susannah’s morning begins with the minor irritation of a non-starting car and a call about a ...