King of Lavender Square - Susan Ryan

Lavender Square is a gem of Victorian red bricks in a Dublin suburb where the lavender grows in mysterious abundance yet its residents move in detached lonely universes until a young boy with a missing father and a big dream brings them together. Suddenly a teacher, a recluse, a lonely caf+ waitress and an advertising whizz kid collide and they find themselves having to take care of Patrick Kimba, a young African-Irish boy, and having to tolerate one another. At first they nod to appease his chatter of ambitions until, quite by accident, his dream becomes theirs and a magical story of love, race, creed, culture and neighbourliness unfolds but not without consequence. In the pursuit of a dream against all odds intolerance threatens to shatter once quiet lives in the lavender-scented haven.