Trespasses

In Trespasses, a married man from Belfast named Michael and Cushla, a teacher, meet in a pub owned by her family. Their encounter will change their lives forever, as love is never far from violence in the town. The daily news rolls in of car bombs exploded, men beaten, killed, or left for dead, and tensions are escalating, threatening to destroy all Cushla is working to hold together. Tender and shocking, Trespasses is an unforgettable debut of people trying to live ordinary lives in extraordinary times.

Format: Paperback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Weight: 222g
Dimension: 197 x 129 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526623362

A Sunday Times and Guardian summer read.

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023.

'A beautiful, devastating novel' - Nick Hornby

One by one, she undid each event, each decision, each choice. If Davy had remembered to put on a coat. If Seamie McGeown had not found himself alone on a dark street. If Michael Agnew had not walked through the door of the pub on a quiet night in February in his white shirt.

In the ordinary backdrop of a pub owned by Cushla's family, an unremarkable day unfolds when fate introduces her to Michael, a married man hailing from Belfast. However, this seemingly commonplace encounter becomes the epicenter of a profound transformation in both their lives, as their story unfolds against the backdrop where love intertwines with violence.

In a world where routine tasks like going to work, attending school, visiting the church, or gathering at the local pub are part of the fabric of life, a darker reality looms large. The daily news chronicles grim events—a relentless barrage of car bombs shattering the streets, men subjected to merciless beatings, lives extinguished or left on the brink of death. These recurring tragedies have woven a chilling narrative into the lives of the town's inhabitants. Even the innocent realm of education bears witness to the intrusion of violence, as the vocabulary of seven-year-old children evolves to accommodate phrases like 'petrol bomb' and 'rubber bullets'.

As Cushla navigates through a world progressively fraying at the edges, the lines she once swore never to cross begin to blur. The simmering tensions within the town surge like a gathering storm, casting shadows over the delicate equilibrium she strives to uphold. Her teaching role, a sanctum for nurturing young minds, is now a battlefield of impressions, marked by the palpable unease that hangs in the air. The ordinary existence she aspires to cultivate for her students is threatened by the inexorable escalation of hostilities, potentially unraveling the very fabric of their lives.

"Trespasses," a work that marries tenderness and shock, emerges as a debut of profound resonance. It speaks of individuals endeavouring to weave threads of normalcy within the extraordinary chronicles of their times. Cushla and Michael's entwined journey encapsulates the resilience of human connections in the face of adversity, where love and hope become an anchor in the tumultuous sea of conflict.

This narrative, set against a backdrop of juxtaposed realities—the ordinary and the brutal—invites readers to bear witness to the resilience of the human spirit. Through its pages, we discern the subtleties of everyday life entwined with the relentless drumbeat of violence, and the powerful imprint such circumstances leave on those who navigate them. The story lingers, challenging our understanding of what it means to live an ordinary life amidst the extraordinary, demanding introspection about the depths of human endurance and the redemptive power of connection.

In a world where the mundane and the exceptional are inextricably intertwined, Trespasses unearths the dichotomy of existence in an era defined by turmoil. Cushla and Michael's tale becomes a timeless reminder that amidst chaos, even the smallest choices can reverberate as acts of defiance, shaping destinies in ways unforeseen.

About the author

Hailing from just outside Belfast, Louise Kennedy is the talent behind Trespasses, a Women's Prize Shortlisted novel, and the celebrated collection The End of the World is a Cul de Sac. Notably, she's a two-time finalist for the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award (2019 and 2020). Previously, Kennedy dedicated almost three decades to a culinary career before embarking on her writing journey. She now resides in Sligo.