Breakwater's End demands much of the reader, because it is a story of terrible family tragedy without a clear villain. Taking his four year old nephew Noah to the beach one afternoon, Luke - a twenty-something teacher in Los Angeles - stops to help a woman who is stung by a jellyfish. In that moment, little Noah wanders off up the breakwater, falls off and drowns. Struggling with PTSD, Luke seeks sanctuary in England with his newly pregnant sister Robyn and her English husband, Ian. Luke must leave with the fact that he was neglectful, and with the cold ire of his family, all of whom miss little Noah and to a greater or lesser degree blame Luke. The novel ends on a surprisingly positive note, with Luke finding himself and love, but it is left for the reader to decide whether he is villain or hero.