Trespasses, by Louise Kennedy, is set in Belfast at the height of "The Troubles". Cushla is a Catholic primary school teacher who also works the odd shift in the family pub, and also tries to keep her alcoholic mother safe when she goes on a bender. When Michael, a much older, married and Protestant barrister walks into the bar one day and rescues her from the attention of some boisterous soldiers, she is instantly drawn to him. They begin a love affair in secret against the back drop of sectarian violence. But this state of happiness cannot last, especially when things get even more complicated by Cushla befriending the family of one of her pupils - a family who are persecuted purely because the mother and father are from different religions. What, at first, feels like a good thing, leads to devastating events that Cushla could never have predicted. This is a great story with interesting characters who are complicated, flawed and not always likeable. However, it's a book that I found hard to put down - it is heartbreaking, irritating, disturbing and funny too. Just like life! For a debut book - amazing! Definitely an author to look out for.
My STAR rating: FIVE.
Length: 320 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.98.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.
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