Trespasses

A Novel

By: Louise Kennedy

Narrated by: Bríd Brennan

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

“Brilliant, beautiful, heartbreaking.”—J.Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Book Review

“TRESPASSES vaults Kennedy into the ranks of such contemporary masters as McCann, Claire Keegan, Colin Barrett, and fellow Sligo resident, Kevin Barry.” —Oprah Daily

Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a shattering novel about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous passion.

Amid daily reports of violence, Cushla lives a quiet life with her mother in a small town near Belfast, teaching at a parochial school and moonlighting at her family’s pub. There she meets Michael Agnew, a Protestant barrister who’s made a name for himself defending IRA members. Against her better judgment, Cushla lets herself get drawn in by him and his sophisticated world, and an affair ignites. Then the father of a student is savagely beaten, setting in motion a chain reaction that will threaten everything, and everyone, Cushla most wants to protect.

Boring!!!

This was mind-numbingly boring until the last few chapters. I kept going because it wasn't that long, but even so I had to skip ahead a few chapters. I got the book because I had heard it reviewed on NPR,but was very disappointed. I kept thinking "when the hell is something going to happen?

Brilliant historical fiction

Beautifully written and heartbreaking. Narrator was incredible - I couldn’t stop listening! The accents were amazing and the characters far too real.

Loved it!

It’s the best book I have read in a long time. Slow, deliberate, and well-crafted. Showed the intricacies and complications of relationships set against the backdrop of the Troubles of Northern Ireland. I felt it gave a glimpse into life at that time and place. A raw and realistic portrait of the human condition.

Wonderful!

I enjoyed every minute of this book. Beautifully written. Excellently narrated. I recommend this book to everyone. Absolutely worthwhile

Love this contemporary Historic Novel

This book is a great follow up read/listen to Bono’s Surrender. And it’s a timely reminder to readers of the agony and pain of Northern Ireland in the recent time of the Troubles. The author weaves her story with just the right lessons about how conflict is influenced by culture. The narrator is superb and adds much to the story with her beautiful accent.