Besotted

by Joe Treasure

Discovering where you come from can be as intoxicating as falling in love. For Kieran, it's his Irish roots; for Michael, it's Kieran's girlfriend; for Kieran's girlfriend, it's God. Some infatuations are so explosive it takes years for the dust to settle. It's 1982, the summer is oppressive, the future uncertain, and Thatcher inescapable. Twin brothers Michael and Kieran—gasping for air in the middle of an eccentric family that only outsiders find enchanting—are visiting their grandparents in County Cork. The questions and entanglements born of that stifling trip are to shape the rest of their lives. Returning to Britain, the brothers don't know whether to call themselves English or Irish. Twenty years later, a fiery young woman doesn't know which of them to call Dad. Shifting between periods of threat and unrest, Besotted is a bold novel of passion, religion, and politics. It is about life's flash points, the quiet violence that can shape us, the pressures of expectation, and the seduction of belonging—whatever the cost.

Genres: Fiction

266 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Raised sixth in a family of nine, Joe Treasure enjoyed a capriciously Bohemian childhood. Having received his educational grounding at the hands of Carmelite priests, he escaped to Cheltenham Grammar School where he excelled only in music and art. His architectural ambitions were thwarted by low grades in maths and physics. The local college of further education allowed him to pursue more congenial subjects, after which he surprised everyone, not least himself, by winning a place to read English at Keble College, Oxford.

Settling in Monmouth, Wales, Joe taught English and ran an innovative drama programme. He moved to Los Angeles at the turn of the millennium to join his wife, Leni Wildflower. Temporarily unemployed, he set about fixing up Leni’s house and turned to writing fiction.

In 2004, at the end of George W Bush’s first explosive term in office, they relocated to London where Joe studied creative writing at Royal Holloway. He wrote The Male Gaze, a novel that drew on his American experience, mingling social comedy with political drama. Offered a two-book publishing contract with Picador, he went on to explore the divided loyalties of an Anglo-Irish family in Besotted, a novel that celebrates the enduring bonds of brotherhood.

The Book of Air is Joe’s first venture into speculative fiction. He and Leni currently live in Balham, London.

Reviews

[Emma Minazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre but really enoyed this one, read chunks at a time and got to know the characters, great story and good descriptions, enjoyable read.

[Judith Yeabsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring. I read it in one go on the plane which is good as otherwise it would have been a trial. It was well written but it just wasn't gripping or fast paced enough. If it weren't for some great twists that made it more interesting I'd have given it a 2.