Trespasses
United Kingdom

Trespasses

by Louise Kennedy

Summary

In 1970s Northern Ireland, as the Troubles bring violence and fear to everyday life, Cushla Lavery tries to build a future beyond the narrow confines of her small Catholic community. She teaches young children at a parochial school and helps run her family’s pub, all while caring for her troubled mother. One evening, she meets Michael Agnew, an older, married Protestant barrister known for defending IRA members. Despite the religious divisions and social dangers surrounding them, Cushla begins a passionate affair with him.

But their private relationship unfolds against a landscape where loyalties are fiercely policed and even the smallest actions can have devastating consequences. When a young pupil’s father is brutally attacked, Cushla becomes caught in a chain of events that threatens the people she loves. Tender and unflinching, Trespasses explores forbidden love, sectarian hatred, and the impossible choices faced by ordinary people living through extraordinary violence.

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Louise Kennedy
Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy is an Irish novelist who grew up near Belfast and later settled in Sligo, Ireland. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a chef for almost thirty years. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Guardian and The Irish Times, and her short-story collection The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac established her as a distinctive voice in contemporary Irish literature. Her debut novel, Trespasses (2022), received widespread acclaim for its portrayal of love and everyday life during the Troubles. It won the 2022 An Post Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year and the 2023 McKitterick Prize, and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Kennedy is known for her sharp characterisation, emotional precision, and exploration of how political conflict shapes private lives.

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Published
2022
Author
Louise Kennedy