Where Are We Now

Where Are We Now by Glenn Patterson

After a strategic down-sizing by his employers, middle aged Herbie finds himself unemployed, directionless and generally lost. His wife has left and cleared off with a ‘southerner’. His daughter has fled to London to seek work and to get away from Belfast (and him). The Belfast he was once so familiar with is no more. Times have changed and so must he if he is to survive.

He seeks solace at the local café which has just come under new management and from here he watches and listens, dipping in and out of conversations and snatches of other people’s lives. An unexpected new romance and the chance to help a friend in need give his life new meaning and purpose.

This novel is much more than the story of how one man does his best to adapt to the changes that were enforced upon him by circumstances beyond his control. It’s also the story of how the city of Belfast has struggled and adapted to cope with change since The Good Friday Agreement.

A must read for all fans of Glenn Patterson and Belfast.