Kennedy's novel is absolutely to my liking, aesthetically and as far as the plot structure and development are concerned; will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author.

Northern Ireland is publishing some really great women writers at the moment and Louise Kennedy is one of those. Trespasses is her first novel a fascinating story of Cushla a catholic young woman who is a teacher but also helps out in her brother's pub which unusually has a mixture of catholic and protestants. We follow her life as she struggles with her mum's alcoholism, navigating her relationship with a married protestant and trying to help a young pupil whose family are in the midst of sectarian abuse. Set in the 70's when 'the troubles' were getting increasingly dangerous, the tension and the bleakness of the impact of living in such a place is palpable and often claustrophobic. The writing is fabulous at embodying that tension, creating a sense of place that will be recognisable for those who come from NI and may help others who don't, to understand the residual secrecy and trauma that is still alive today.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I mainly read Crime and Psychological Thrillers, but I've been enjoying books set in Ireland and by Irish authors so was interested to give this a try.

Cushla Lavery is a primary school teacher in a small town near Belfast in the mid 1970s.

Cushla's everyday life is lived in the shadows of sectarian violence, religious divides and her mother's alcoholism. Cushla helps her brother Eamonn out in his pub, one of the few that hasn't closed down or been bombed or burnt down.

The writing is dry and understated, it really allows the characters come alive through their words and actions. Cushla is one of the most memorable and real characters I've met in a book for a long time. She sees the community from all angles, as a teacher, bar maid and as a supportive daughter to her mother.

No spoilers. There are some great characters on the journey, including Davy, the stoical outsider who Cushla teaches, who just wants to join in at football, and Michael, the sophisticated barrister who drinks in Eamonn's pub sometimes.

With richly drawn characters, full lives and relationships I was completely sucked in, deeply moved and often close to tears.

Deeply moving, powerful, memorable and unexpected and I didn't want it to end.

I absolutely loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

This is a wonderful novel. Understated and yet packs a powerful punch that stays with the reader long after the last page. Every aspect of life is examined here in an unassuming fashion - poverty, misogyny, racism, the perennial search for human connection - it's all here.
A triumph!











Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC

I really liked this book set in mid 1970's Northern Ireland. You can tell it's written by an Irish writer as the rhythm of the speech and colloquialisms used are authentic and add so much texture to the narrative.
The story is about Cushla, a 24 year old Catholic Primary School teacher in a small "mixed" (religion) town outside of Belfast whose family run a small pub. Whilst helping out in the pub she meets a much older (in his early 50's), married, handsome "ladies man" customer who is a barrister and they begin an affair. Cushla is a bit lost and has a dull but stressful life, caring for her alcoholic widowed mother, feeling under restraint from the hypocrtical Catholic priests in the school and of course, dealing with the depressing daily reminders of "The Troubles." and the constant watching of your tongue and movements that living in NI entailed. It's really well written and drew me. I was a bit tentative starting the book as I feared it would be another total misery fest dealing with deeply abusive relationships such as books I've read recently by other Irish Women Writers such as Sally Rooney,Anna Burns and Meg Nolan which were well written but depressing.. This story has more light and shade and moments of levity and the kind of "gallows humour" that the Irish excel at..

It's 1973, in a small town on the outskirts of Belfast. We meet Cushla Lavery, who is a 24 year old Catholic primary school teacher. She cares deeply for her pupils, none more so than the heartbreaking Davy McGeown. His family are singled out as targets for sectarian bullying, as their parent's marriage is mixed. She lives with her Mum, Gina, who has been drowning her grief for her dead husband in gin. Cushla helps out in the family bar and it is here that she meets Micheal Agnew, a protestant lawyer, 30 years her senior. Micheal asks her to teach him and his erudite friends how to speak Irish (or how to cosplay as Fenians) and so begins their illicit affair.

I thought this book was exceptionally good. The writing is understated but evocative; I can picture the 1970s fashions and orange formica-heavy decor she describes perfectly, as well as the creeping, claustrophobic dread of the headlines that The Troubles create. Her characters are fully realised, from the monstrous Fr. Slattery to Gerry, Cushla's closest friend. I found the female characters to be particularly well written; flawed, human, whole. I highly recommend this gorgeous, tender book.

I've yet to read Louise Kennedy's short story collection "The End of the World is a Cul de Sac" but this, her debut novel, has bumped it right up my reading list.

*Trespasses will be published on 14th April. Many thanks to the author, the publisher @bloomsburypublishing and @netgalley for the advanced digital copy*

'Trespasses' is an immensely powerful debut novel which fully immerses the reader in the world of Troubles-era Northern Ireland. 24-year-old Catholic primary school teacher Cushla Lavery finds herself in a relationship with the older married Protestant civil rights barrister Michael Agnew as both are affected by the sectarian violence around them. We also see Cushla's strained relationships with her alcoholic mother and her brother who is trying to keep the family pub open, and her efforts to care for a boy in her class whose father is seriously injured in an attack.

I was so impressed by Louise Kennedy's writing - she effortlessly conjures up a vivid sense of time and place through Cushla's perspective. We enter a world in which violence has become so normalised that the children in Cushla's class can recite the acronyms of different paramilitary organisations, while their innocence is further corrupted by the parish priest's inflammatory rhetoric. Kennedy also writes very perceptively about class consciousness - it is not just religion but social status which separates Cushla from Michael, and her acute sense of embarrassment about her own background and discomfort milieu is convincingly rendered.

The plot becomes increasingly compelling as different strands of Cushla's life combine with horrifying effect. This is an unavoidably grim book in some respects but it still feels like there is an underlying warmth in the community Cushla inhabits amidst the darkness and violence so it is not an unremittingly bleak read. Above all, I was completely absorbed in these characters' lives and experiences due to the startling clarity with which Kennedy depicts the recent past. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC to review!

This is definitely a book which will stay with me for a long time. It takes you right back to 1970s Belfast at the height of the Troubles. It is unflinching in its portrayal of sectarianism, poverty, violence and despair. It is ultimately heartbreaking as families are torn apart and lives lost. The characterisation is wonderful which really makes the story come alive and I liked the catch up at the end. Highly recommend this book.

Despite best intentions, this is a story of how politics and personal does not always work. Genuine and relateable characters whose lives would have been so much easier if they were played out just about anywhere else. As a work of fiction, it's good. As an educational text, it does a pretty good job as well.

An interesting and different book but very grey and depressing in some respects. It was set in the troubled times in Ireland and I was not readily able to identify. Thanks to netgalley for an ARC.

Trespasses is set in 1975 in a Northern Ireland torn apart by the Troubles. Cushla Lavery is a Catholic primary school teacher in a mostly Protestant community outside Belfast. She looks after her alcoholic mother and helps out in her brother’s pub, mostly frequented by Protestants and the security forces. That’s where she meets Michael, an attractive, older, married barrister who has outspoken views on the justice system and civil rights. At school, she takes a young boy, Davy Mc Gowan, under her wing when his father is beaten and left for dead by a Protestant gang. Her decisions and actions have far-reaching consequences for her and her family.
This book was not an easy read. The Troubles were a bleak time in Irish history and this is excellently portrayed by the author, Louise Kennedy. It’s in the little details as much as in the main narrative – the children starting their school day with news of bombings and beatings, the casual misogyny of the security forces in the bar with their groping and comments, with the automatic answer of ‘going to a party’ at roadblocks. I thought that the menace of the parish priest, Slattery, was very well done – every time he appeared, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! The characters are well rounded and credible and the story just keeps pulling on your heart-strings. The short, snappy sentences pull you into the stories. It’s a fantastic debut novel from an amazing new writer. I recommend that you check out her collection of short stories – The End of the World is a Cul-De-Sac – if you enjoy this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Bloomsbury for the eArc of this book in return for an honest review.

I found this book to be a bit of a slow burner in the beginning but the beautifully understated writing kept me reading and, slowly, I became engaged with Cushla and Michael's strange love story. The backdrop of Belfast in the 1970s was seamlessly woven in and ancillary characters were three dimensional and worthy of their place in the story. I was slightly disappointed in the ending, which seemed to heading for a large bang but ended with a genteel whimper. Overall, though, a book I would recommend.
I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There is no doubt that this is 1970s Belfast, at the height of the Troubles. Kennedy evokes that time period with immense skill with all its tension, divides and navigational skill required for any person trying to live their life. For Cushla, a young Catholic primary school teacher who occasionally helps out at her family’s bar on the suburban outskirts of Belfast it’s not different. In the bar, which is in an area known for its relatively peaceful mixing of religious backgrounds, the paths of both Catholics and Protestants cross. And it’s there Cushla becomes fascinated and attracted to the older Michael Agnew, a well-known Protestant barrister and acquaintance of her parents. It’s a story you know from the beginning will not end well, but its execution is so poignant and beautifully told you can forgive the tragedy of its ending. It’s without a doubt an Irish story, fit for any Irish ballad. The style, though, despite the words, woven so well, makes it difficult to parse at time, and interrupts the telling. The style is part of this awful trendy penchant I’ve seen lately, disguised as cutting edge, envelope pushing aren’t-I-Joycean-in-cleverness, to cluster dialogue by different speakers in a single paragraph, omit dialogue punctuation marks and only occasionally and randomly capitalise proper nouns and beginnings of sentences. That is my one complaint about this book and it’s a big complaint. Thanks to Netgalley.

Trespasses - Louise Kennedy


Trespasses is a novel set in 1980s Belfast, told through the eyes of Cushla, a teacher struggling to support her alcoholic mother, the family pub, the absence of her father and the all too real threat of civil war breaking out on her doorstep (again).

As a Scot born in the 80s, I have some idea of the unrest and all out war in Northern Ireland, that continues today. As someone brought up Catholic, I have a little insight into the Catholics vs Protestants, Loyalists vs Unionists at the crux of the problem. Living in England, I have seen and felt the difference a lack of media coverage and a few hundred miles has made. The 12th July, for example, does not hold immediate significance or memories of marches and bands, practicing for weeks before in the early hours of the weekend up and down the streets of Scotland.
I have a tiny glimpse into what it must have been like in that time (and to some extent, even now) and this story, humanised and centred, makes it more real and more shocking.

It’s so complex, though, that it almost feels that it could have done with a cliffnotes summary of who’s who, what the different slurs mean on both sides and if we should be afraid of the British army or not - I suspect both sides would have been in what was effectively occupied Northern Ireland.

On the surface and without knowing the ins and outs, it’s a story of Cushla as she goes about her day to day, looking after the kids in her class, planning Easter activities for them and wondering what her future holds. Loving her family and yet wishing she was out of the mess, the struggle of stopping her mother from drinking bottles of gin each day in an effort to drown out the absence of her husband.

One of the kids in her class is from a ‘mixed’ marriage - a Protestant and a Catholic. It might seem almost absurd to be an issue now, but we still see these clashes and harassment for same or similar connections. After his Dad is assaulted and left for dead, Cushla tries to look after the kids and help the family, even as it brings consequences on her and her own family.
A burgeoning relationship with an older man both further complicates her life, but also brings with it a much needed bright point for Cushla, a taste of a life she could lead outside of the creeping dread of attack.

The title itself holds many meanings, great for further discussion. It’s a well worn joke about the Lord’s prayer having ‘extra’ bits in the Protestant version, as well as that much loved but slightly idiosyncratic word ‘trespasses’, which takes a lot of explaining at primary school. There are characters in the book who both trespass against others and forgive those who trespass against them. There’s something about being somewhere you shouldn’t, rather than the moral betrayal, as well.

I recommend this if you’re looking for an interesting view on 1980s Belfast, to learn or remember what it was like back then and perhaps even reflect on how much change (or not) we’ve seen in the ensuing four decades.

Thanks as always to Netgalley and to Bloomsbury for the DRC - this is published in the UK on April 14th, 2022.

I enjoyed this book. Cushla Lavery is a 24 year old living near Belfast during the troubles. She works as a teacher to a class of 7 year olds, and some evenings she also works in the family bar. It is here that she meets Michael, an older married man, and they start an affair. I found that this book gave me an insight into what it was like to live in Belfast during that time, and it particularly struck me that the children in Cushla's class accepted this as normal. This is a depressing read but worth it nonetheless. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

4.5 rounded up

The year is 1975, the place is Northern Ireland torn apart by The Troubles. Cushla Lavery is a Catholic primary school teacher where she takes Davie McGeown under her wing, his parents are unusual as it’s a “mixed marriage. Cushla’s family, especially her brother Eamonn, run a bar in a garrison town where soldiers also sink their pints. Amongst other customers is Michael Agnew, a Protestant barrister who has outspoken views on justice and civil rights, in particular the Diplock courts. He is one of a few prepared to take on cases challenging the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary). Michael,though much older than Cushla and also married, is a very attractive man and thus begins a kind of tantalising dance between them. Is Cushla too “Irish“ for Michael to say nothing of the age gap? Is it a dangerous dance because of their religion??

I’m not going to pretend this is an easy read, of course it isn’t, it’s Northern Ireland during the troubles. It’s vivid and shocking and still brings tears to my eyes many years later. What I can say is that it captures the times brilliantly and in fact I go so far as to say it’s one of the best novels of Northern Ireland that I have read.It has everything, it’s brutal and absolutely chilling on occasions depicting the tragedy of the religious divide and the bigotry. It’s tragic and so heartbreaking and poignant that at times it hurts.

I like the way it’s written with short sharp sentences which perfectly match the events but with plenty of emotion from anger to sadness and frustration. The characterisation is excellent, you feel what Cushla does and like her you want to wrap your arms around little Davey. One of the things that strikes an especially chilling note is in the classroom especially from the terrifying priest. You read with growing disquiet, you sense it clearly and some scenes make you gasp and you know in your book bones what the outcome will be you still hope against hope. It’s a no holds barred, honest account of life in Northern Ireland at this time and it doesn’t sugarcoat it as it shouldn’t.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury Publishing plc for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Trespasses is an understated, melancholy novel set in the midst of the Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland. It paints a greyscale picture of the era, contrasting muted prose with unflinching honesty. While the characters are rarely likeable, they are believable, worn down by the Troubles, and there’s a very real thread of tragedy running beneath all their stories.

In many ways, I found the affair at the heart of this story the weakest part of the novel. I just couldn't get emotionally engaged with the relationship. I was much more interested by Cushla's interactions with her dysfunctional family, the McGeowns and the school community, which give a much more effective insight into the mood of the times.

Trespasses is an impressive debut novel, a vivid rendering of lives caught up in the chaos of recent history.

This is a beautifully written book, set in Northern Ireland at the time of the troubles. It tells the story of Cushla, a young teacher who falls in love with a married man. She risks her reputation, her job and the future of her whole family as the shame of a young unmarried Catholic girl with a married man in Belfast at this time would be devastating. The book makes difficult reading at times as it is hard for most of us to imagine the terrible bigotry which existed at this time, along with the violence and difficulties which these people faced. Cushla is a sensitive young woman, who is facing many difficulties in her life from a difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother and her unsympathetic brother to her worries about a young family she knows from school. I desperately wanted Cushla to have her happy ever after, but I suspected from the beginning that this was not going to be the case.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a tough read set in Belfast during the Troubles with a brutally honest depiction of the life of Catholics living in a largely Protestant area. Shocking in the fact it will remind the reader of those times where,, even with the most innocent relationships, there are undercurrents. A word or action could trigger a series of horrific daily events. Interesting but not an easy read, I did find some of format (maybe just on my kindle download) a bit difficult at times to differentiate with a loss of some capitals and no separation of speech which made the beginning a little slow. Not for everyone but almost a necessary read as part of our history.

I thought this book was beautiful. Such a rich depiction of a life and time done with such grace and understatement which made the events it showed all the more shocking. I can always tell a good book when I wonder what the people are doing now, as though they’re real, and that’s absolutely the truth with Trespasses.