Meet Gerard. Hes twelve, a bright kid, but trouble always follows him. Gerard struggles, and doesnt always make good decisions. One morning, he makes a terrible one, upending not just his world, but the lives of elderly widow Margaret and bystander Claire. Three strangers, one moment and nothing is ever the same again. Heartbreaking, yet brimful of humour and hope, This Bright Life is a story about messy lives, second chances and the many hands it takes to build a boy. Galloway-based Karen Campbell is the author of nine novels. She also tutors and mentors in creative writing, and was Writer in Residence at Dumfries and Galloway Council during the Covid pandemic.