Ripeness

In the 1960s, young Edith is sent from England to a remote village in Italy with a solemn task: care for her pregnant sister, Lydia, whose career as a ballet dancer has been upended by scandal. Edith is to witness the birth, make a single phone call, and then step aside as the child is whisked away by nuns—never to be spoken of again.

Decades later, Edith is settled in Ireland, embracing the peace of solitude and the comfort of chosen friendships. But when her dearest friend, Maebh, learns of a brother she never knew existed—a child her mother surrendered long ago—buried memories begin to resurface. As Maebh confronts the truth of her own origins, Edith is pulled back to the summer that shaped both her life and her silence.

Ripeness is a luminous meditation on memory, loss, and the families we make and unmake. With subtle power, Moss explores the long reach of maternal decisions, the cost of belonging, and the stories we inherit—and pass on.