Trespass by Rose Tremain

 

This is the story of two brother-sister relationships, set in the South of France.  The first set of siblings are French.  Aramon is the brother and Audrun the sister.  They grew up in wealth but without a mother who died while they were young.  Aramon was always the favored one.  When the father died, he inherited everything except for some woods which Audrun inherited and on which she had a small cottage built.  Audrun was abused by both her father and brother.  It left her introverted and unable to form an adult relationship while it left Aramon so wracked with guilt that he is now an alcoholic, drinking to forget the horrific things he did.

The other siblings are English.  Anthony is a very successful antique dealer in London but as the times have changed, so have tastes and his business is now failing.  He decides to go visit his sister, Veronica, who lives in France with her partner.  Veronica and Anthony have a loving relationship and after a few days, Anthony starts to think about retiring to a house near Veronica.  

The house Anthony is interested in is Aramon's, who had decided to sell his house while the market was hot.  But Anthony wants a spectacular view and Audrun's dilapidated cottage ruins it so he moves on.  But nothing else he sees appeals to him like this property.  He sets off one day to view more properties and never returns.  Has he gotten lost?  Did he go hiking and have a misadventure?  

Rose Tremain is an English author who writes both contemporary and historical fiction.  She has been nominated for both the Booker and Women's Fiction awards and won the Woman's Fiction award.  This book is particularly interesting as it delves into the relationships we have as we get older and often the strongest are with our original family.  Conversely, those relationships may also be our earliest and strongest personality shapers of abuse and rejection.  This novel is recommended for readers of literary fiction.