Trespass

A novel of greed, love and family. When Helen Reed, a wealthy widow, engages young masseur, David Sweeney, to alleviate the pain of her final days, her voracious brood move in with other plans. Trespass is a fascinating portrait of a family, of a moribund, spirited woman living life to the full for as long as she has it. It’s the tale of a young girl coming of age, of a musician’s fear of failure, an artist’s quest for success and about the financial collapse of a man whose city career has just fallen apart. Joan Hawkins’ third novel is set in an idyllic New England haven, where a newly-constructed swimming pool in the leafy grounds of Helen’s home becomes a symbol of her independence and of her family’s deepest resentments. While masseur David 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.