Joan Hawkins’ third novel is a tale of greed, love and inheritance. When Helen Reed, a wealthy widow, engages young masseur, David Sweeney, to alleviate the pain of her final days of illness, her brood move in voraciously with other plans.
Set in an idyllic New England haven, a newly-constructed swimming pool in Helen’s yard has become at once the symbol of her independence and the source of her family’s deepest resentments. A pool, after all, will lower the real estate value of the classic home.
Fearing that Helen may desecrate the property further, grand-daughter Christy is despatched to New England to spy on Helen. Trespass is a fascinating portrait of a moribund, yet spirited woman living life joyously and to the full for as long as she has it.
It’s also the tale of a young girl coming of age, the financial collapse of her parents and of a musician’s fear of failure. While Sweeney brings relief and calm to the widow’s pain, the underbelly of Helen Reed’s summer cottage cannot be brushed under the Persian carpet. Its quagmire of misguided dreams, desires and betrayals make truth and beauty as elusive as the ripples across the pool in her yard.
Trespass (paperback & ebook):
USA: Barnes and Noble / UK: Foyles / W.H. Smith
Canada: Chapters Ireland: Waterstones
Germany: Schweitzer / Australia: Booktopia
International: The Book Depository / Amazon.com
and all other Amazon sites
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