The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine - a review
Wendy Erskine’s debut novel The Benefactors has just been released, and the signs are that it will be a triumph in the publishing world, with some great reviews and a lot of hype around its publication. I was at the Belfast launch in June which was very well attended – which is not surprising given that this is her hometown and she is already well known in literary circles, and beyond, as an excellent short story writer. Since then she has had events in Dublin and London to celebrate the launch.
The Benefactors is based in Belfast and the story is polyphonic, that is it is told by multiple characters – in fact there are over 50 voices featured in the book some with just short vignettes which may or may not be related to or connected with the main characters and the main event. Misty is a working-class teenager who befriends a group of entitled young men who take advantage of her at a party and rape her. The experience understandably traumatises her and she is persuaded by her father and grandmother to report it to the police. The mothers of the three young men rally together to try to get her to drop the charges as a conviction would badly affect their sons’ futures. You will need to read it for yourself to find out what happens.
It touches on a multitude of issues from attitudes of entitlement, family, class divide and misogyny, all within the confines of a small city, but the polyphonic style of the book means that we get the real flavour of the community through the different voices that we hear from. Wendy explained that she is attempting to show the world around the main characters, and that the events do not occur in isolation but in the midst of a community.
It is an entertaining read, easy to follow, with the local Belfast humour that you would expect and I would highly recommend that you get hold of a copy to read for yourself.
The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
