Trespass: Living at the Edge of the Promised Land

by Amy Irvine

Book Overview

Trespass is the story of one woman's struggle to gain footing in inhospitable territory. A wilderness activist and apostate Mormon, Amy Irvine sought respite in the desert outback of southern Utah's red-rock country after her father's suicide, only to find out just how much of an interloper she was among her own people. But more than simply an exploration of personal loss, Trespass is an elegy for a dying world, for the ruin of one of our most beloved...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0865477035
• ISBN13: 9780865477032
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: North Point Press
• Length: 363 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Heartfelt and Generous

Amy Irvine has given us permission, ever so briefly, to enter into a world that cannot truly be understood without living it ourselves. Her story is such a generous sharing of the spirit and an honest understanding of who she is, where she has come from, and where she yearns to be. I see her place descriptions echoed vividly in my mind and I rejoice in her journey.

lyrical insights on the way to wisdom

This is an eloquent, lyrical, and insightful account from the frontlines of the struggle to redefine our relationsips to Western landscapes. With a foot in both the Mormon ranching world of her ancestors and the world of conservation activism she has adopted, Amy Irvine struggles to reconcile her divided heart and loyalties. Although the struggles described are contemporary, this is really an old tale made fresh. The great writer Wallace Stegner said that the history of the American West is the struggle between "boomers" and "stickers." Boomers are those who came to make a quick killing and end up on easy street - the conquistadors, gold miners, land scalpers, and good ol' boy developers. Stickers, or "nesters," are those who try to understand the limits and needs of the land and live within them. But the division is too simple. In our consumer culture we all exhibit the behaviors of boomers and yet we all want to feel we are at home and in good relationship. This difficult struggle to sort out the conflicts and find balance is central to Amy's account. Ultimately, this is a quest for wisdom told with courage and compassion.

Edgy and sophisticated

I couldn't put it down. Irvine's writing is real and eloquent. She masterfully blends history, community and raw emotion into a riveting tale of life in a small, southern Utah town. Trespass is sure to become a modern western classic.

an incredible story of place

Irvine's book is a totally engrossing read, a page turner, an emotion igniter. To experience it took me first into a realm of accompanying Irvine in her journey through her promised land and the splits that are created as she negotiates the conflicts and inconsistencies. The from-the-heart, graphic language of her memoir soon drew me into a realm of examining my own journey through my place that is, like Irvine's, the high desert southwest. Throughout the book I was struck by the ironies of Irvine's descriptions of the natural beauty of her patch and the way that so many of its inhabitants are willing to ignore and to trash the natural balances of the place. It's a great read for those who have the courage to be challenged by the realities of their own journeys through their place. The west, with its diverse values, history, and cultures, is one of the most challenging, and Irvine has captured it eloquently and thoughtfully for us.

A Fantastic Memoir

Ms. Irvine's book speaks to the soul. It carries a message of loss and hope, of death and life, and of the virtues of solitude and togetherness. Her portrait of her mate, Herb, the so-called "Lion Man" who embodies the wildness of the red rock desert she loves, is particularly intriguing. Highly recommended.