“Trespasses” by Louise Kennedy
Cushla Lavery is a primary teacher, living with her widowed mother in Northern Ireland. The cover carries a quotation: “A compulsively readable love story”, which is quite true; however that statement totally ignores the depth of this novel. Set during the peak of the sectarian Troubles, Cushla, a Catholic, teaches at a small church school where the local priest, Father Slattery imposes his personal preferences, whilst the head Mr. Bradley seems amenable to being influenced by the clergy. She befriends a fellow teacher, Gerry Devlin, who becomes a strong ally to her over the months of the story.
The love story is the developing relationship Cushla has, after a chance meeting, with Michael Agnew, a married Belfast barrister. He becomes a more frequent drinker in her brother Eammon’s pub, which he had taken over after their father died, and where Cushla helps out occasionally after school. There are a handful of regular drinkers who materialise throughout the book, but the pub is a venue where Michael can see Cushla as they become ever closer; though this would be frowned upon by the locals, and of course her school.
Another chance happening leads into the other strand of the book. Cushla’s increasing involvement with the McGeown family, initiated after she had inadvertently soaked Davy, one of her class’s pupils, as he walked to school. After his father Seamus is attacked and only just survives, Cushla aids the family and supports Davy, a bright boy, who is ostracised at school. She befriends Betty, Davy’s mother, but external influences damage this relationship, trust being a precious commodity in and around Belfast. Davy’s brother, Tommy an A-Level student, and elder sister Mandy make up the family but the neighbours are forever threatening the household as Seamus eventually returns home to convalesce.
Cushla’s home life is not easy, her mother Gina being an alcoholic, hidden bottles being discovered randomly secreted throughout their house, but Eammon sees this as Cushla’s responsibility while he manages the family business, having a wife and daughters to care for between his long hours behind the counter.
As Spring turns to Summer, Cushla’s relationship with Michael intensifies. Her knowledge of Irish is used as an excuse for meetings with some of his friends who are trying to learn the language. Their assignations are sometimes scarce, sometimes spontaneous following a brief phone call, as Michael is busy handling difficult and sensitive court cases, and of course has a wife and family at home. The dinners shared with the fellow students of Irish provide a good mixture of sub-characters. Throughout, their growing love, despite external adversities, drives the love story along, but in reiteration this novel offers so much more than a tale of passion.
The book reads smoothly, each strand of the story advancing as events start to merge. The Troubles are sensitively handled, presented with raw factual clarity as the background against which the lives of the McGeown family deteriorate. Cushla juggling her domestic life at home and the pub, against her affair with Michael, and her wish to help Davy and his family.
Louise Kennedy is a very able writer having already published a very good book of short stories [The End of the World is a Cul-de-Sac – already available in paperback]. This, her first novel, is worthy of attention not only for the story it tells, the reality of the events it chronicles, but in particular for the pleasure it gave reading it.
