? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Trespasses is a novel based on the “Troubles” that shaped the modern history of Northern Ireland. Hailed as an unpretentious read where “every page feels like a moral and intellectual event,” according to one review, the book is less concerned with stylistic decorum and more invested in the complicated and fiercely — often fatally — contentious identity politics of the European nation. The plotline follows the story of a young Catholic woman named Cushla Lavery who falls in love with Michael Agnew, a married protestant lawyer who is visibly her senior. But their personal matters aside, their illicit affair is complicated by larger forces at play. In a context where “what you are” inevitably trumps “what you do,” the secret couple’s very existence is at the crux of an unflinchingly splintered society. Despite the terrifying sectarian violence running amuck in 1975 Belfast, readers catch glimpses of humanity and empathy despite the seemingly boundless brutality that claimed the lives of thousands of people. Because of her attention to detail and richly nuanced account, it is no surprise, then, that Louise Kennedy’s first novel has earned award after award and reviews emphasizing her work’s emotional impact on readers.

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