Esme’s Children

In 1970’s Rio de Janeiro, three orphaned children, unrelated and unknown to each other, are given the chance to build a new life. In the confusion of the sprawling city, pulsating with tension between the rich and the poor, each must find their own way in a divided society manipulated by corrupt politicians and a powerful elite. A random act of kindness by a lonely café owner sets in motion a chain of events that will see the orphans brought into conflict as adults, the outcome of which resonates across the entire city, pitching social renewal against violence and greed. Esme’s Children weaves their stories together, from shared childhood trauma to their different individual quests for truth and justice, power and revenge, forgiveness and love. The first novel in the Bosco family trilogy, this enthralling debut by S.R. Davies combines fast-paced action with a moving portrait of the indestructible force of memory and desire, set against the stunning backdrop of Rio as it moves inexorably into the twenty-first century.