Customer Reviews

Trespass

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Inspired by the racial tensions of the late 1960s, Trespass by Fletcher Knebel is an ambitious novel which attempts to explore the subject of race in America from the vantage point of multiple characters. The story starts off in the home of a wealthy couple in Princeton, NJ. Four armed black militants take control of their house and surrounding estate. We later learn that this home invasion is only one of several taking place simultaneously throughout the country. President Phil Randall, in office a mere six months, finds himself in the unenviable position of having to defuse the situation without setting off a race war of unimaginable dimensions. There are multiple subplots, some of which work better than others.
To his credit, Knebel largely stays away from stereotypes and imbues his characters with multifaceted personas. The dialogue is believable and the descriptive prose is both detailed and evocative.
Bottom line: Trespass is an interesting novel, marred by uneven plotting. An ambitious, worthwhile undertaking that falls short of a 4 star rating.