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A review by bookishwithbug
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
📚BOOK REVIEW📚 :: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
Story premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Northern Ireland and the world is reeling. Car bombs, assassinations, targeted attacks. In the midst of this, Cushla is a 24 year old teacher and barmaid living a fairly normal life. The Troubles haven't touched her the way they have so many others. But as she serves up a few pints to the soldiers and Protestants who come into her Catholic family's bar, she is reminded of the world she's living in.
And that's when she falls for Michael Agnew, a man who couldn't be more wrong for her. He was her late father's dear friend, a Protestant barrister fighting for justice at a particularly dangerous time, and oh yeah, he's married.
When they're together, Cushla and Michael forget the world around them. Kennedy's portrayal of a young woman in love is captivating. On every page, I became 24 again, excited about my dalliance with the ill-advised. While their romance had my heart racing, so too did the ever-present tension of the danger around them. While they didn't seem to pay it any mind, it was impossible for me, the reader, to forget.
Cushla's sincere, but problematic love doesn't end with Michael. It extends to her students, one in particular whose family falls on the "wrong" side of the political aisle. As a former teacher, my heart was with Davy and his family, and I could imagine no other way for Cushla. But it hurts.
Through Cushla, Kennedy reminds us just how dangerous loving apolotically can be in a world with nothing but political boundaries. While Cushla thought she could evade or ignore the barricades, bullets, and bombs, her love ends up costing her and those around her everything.
Kennedy's writing is intimate in a way few authors accomplish. Cushla's mistakes, her excitement became my own. By the last few chapters, I felt almost treacherous, knowing that soon I'd have to leave her behind in the pages. I'm grateful for this unique insight into a period of human history marked more by violence and loss than by love and hope.
Story premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Northern Ireland and the world is reeling. Car bombs, assassinations, targeted attacks. In the midst of this, Cushla is a 24 year old teacher and barmaid living a fairly normal life. The Troubles haven't touched her the way they have so many others. But as she serves up a few pints to the soldiers and Protestants who come into her Catholic family's bar, she is reminded of the world she's living in.
And that's when she falls for Michael Agnew, a man who couldn't be more wrong for her. He was her late father's dear friend, a Protestant barrister fighting for justice at a particularly dangerous time, and oh yeah, he's married.
When they're together, Cushla and Michael forget the world around them. Kennedy's portrayal of a young woman in love is captivating. On every page, I became 24 again, excited about my dalliance with the ill-advised. While their romance had my heart racing, so too did the ever-present tension of the danger around them. While they didn't seem to pay it any mind, it was impossible for me, the reader, to forget.
Cushla's sincere, but problematic love doesn't end with Michael. It extends to her students, one in particular whose family falls on the "wrong" side of the political aisle. As a former teacher, my heart was with Davy and his family, and I could imagine no other way for Cushla. But it hurts.
Through Cushla, Kennedy reminds us just how dangerous loving apolotically can be in a world with nothing but political boundaries. While Cushla thought she could evade or ignore the barricades, bullets, and bombs, her love ends up costing her and those around her everything.
Kennedy's writing is intimate in a way few authors accomplish. Cushla's mistakes, her excitement became my own. By the last few chapters, I felt almost treacherous, knowing that soon I'd have to leave her behind in the pages. I'm grateful for this unique insight into a period of human history marked more by violence and loss than by love and hope.