The Twelfth Labor

Steeped in the epic realism of O’Neill, yet stylistically unique, The Twelfth Labor tells the story of a family struggling to survive at any cost. Esther, bereft of her husband, struggles mightily to keep her family afloat as they await their father’s return from the war. When her mentally handicapped daughter, Cleo, becomes pregnant Esther is forced to make a series of difficult decisions.

Through Cleo’s fragmented memories, prophetic dreams, and swirling language, we begin to understand the price she and her family have paid for a little dignity. All while they await the return of their long absent father, lost in the war, half a world away.