This could be subtitled: Siblings--the Dark Side. There are two parallel stories that are on a collision course with each other here, and they both center on the relationship between siblings. And they both involve a trespass, although not the same sense of the word. The thing that I love about the Booker prize long list is that the writing is exquisite--but often at the expense of the craft of the story itself--not so in this case.
The first of the two sets of siblings are Veronica and Anthony--they are much more straight forward and the less complicated of the siblings. They are close and it is when one of them has an intimate relationship that threatens their closeness that there is trouble (this is one trespass).
The second and much darker pair are Aramon and Audrun--they have a bitter rivalry steeped in rivalry and true ingrained differences in their values that set them at each others throats. Their father was a bit of a sadist and when their mother died, Audrun didn't stand a chance. But no one lives forever, and when the father died, his will set in motion a slow moving catastrophe that ends badly. This book is a bit less hopeful than 'The Road Home'--more of a cautionary tale--beware of how you parent your offspring, and try to facilitate an adult relationship between them that allows them to be allies, not enemies or entwined. Wonderful read.
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