And Those Who trespass Against Us

by Helen Macpherson

Sister Katherine Flynn is an Irish nun sent to work in the remote Australian countryside of New South Wales. She is a prideful woman who joined her order to escape the shame of being left at the altar, though she didn't really want to be married anyway. Katherine finds great relief in escaping the cold Victorian Ireland of 1872. Catriona Pelham is a member of the reasonably affluent farming gentry. Her relationship with the hardworking townspeople and its farmers is one of genuine and mutual respect. The town's wealthy, however, have ostracized her due to her unorthodox ways and refusal to conform to society's expectations of a woman of the 1870's. As their bond develops, the journey begins for these two strong-willed women. For Katherine it is a journey of self-discovery and of what life holds outside the cloistered walls of the convent. For Catriona it is bittersweet, as feelings she has kept hidden for years resurface in her growing interest in Katherine.

Genres: Historical, Lesbian, Historical Fiction, Lesbian Romance, LGBT, Romance

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Born and living in Australia, Helen resides in the North-West of Tasmania. After over 33 years in the Australian Army, she is now retired, and happily spends her days as house spouse to her wife, Kate. When she isn't engaged in her favourite hobby of cooking, she spends her time traveling, reading, writing and finally paying sufficient focus on completing her family history. Helen has always had a love of writing and poetry, completing her first body of work--a piece of poetry, at fifteen.

Reviews

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must start by saying "what's up with the name" Catriona! For me, not really a name that rolls easily off my tongue.
I thought it's was an awful name for a character.

That aside, I had a few problems with this book.
At the moment I like to read westerns/historical books, unconsciously I'm going to compare them with each other, if I want to or not.
And I must admit that this one was not as good then what I have read recently.
Maybe it's convenient to mention that the books that I'm compering this one with are:
Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles
Backwards to Oregon
Tumbleweed Fever
Promising Hearts
Innocent Hearts

Let me say the story and the characters were well described, but there was a constant feeling that there was something missing.
Some parts did not seemed to be fully connected with other parts, but still I couldn't put it down, I had to know how it would end.

For me there were some major mistakes that led to the fact that I didn't believe in the sincerity of the feelings that the main characters had for one another.

When the ex lover of Catriona suddenly out of nowhere comes back, they dive straight into bed with each other.
And that while there was just a love blossoming between Catriona and Katherine. Sorry but ensured me that the feelings that Catriona felt for Katherine were not very special.

Then there was this weird story with some lesbian bandit. Come on, very unrealistic and convenient. And for Katherine to share a kiss with this bandit at the same time in the story that she has decided to give in to her feelings for Catriona, It was all so wrong. It felt out of place and put me of. Just like Catriona and here ex lover.

After that there were some nice moments between Catriona and Katherine but for me it never felt as sincere as it should have been.
It could have been magical, I mean the thought of a nun that falls for another women, was very interesting to me. The shyness and inexperience of Sister Katherine was heartwarming, I couldn't wait for her to open up to Catriona. But all that tenderness that was building up between them was destroyed because the both fell out of character before the came together.
The build up to intimacy between the two women was very good.
But when the main characters start having sex and share kisses with other woman, I'm sorry I thought that blew the whole feeling of the story to pieces. Especially there first time together was not as credible after everything.

For me this was really a story with a lot more potential than what came out of it.

3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second novel from Helen Macpherson that I've read and like the first, it doesn't disappoint. Set in 1870's rural Australia, it compares quite favorably to two other excellent books that depict women in the same era and rural environment--the Grass Widow and Backwards to Oregon. The main difference is the lead character is a rather well established rancher, so the author chose to concentrate on developing the romance rather than depicting the daily drudgery and hardship of farm life.

The main conflict here is internal, as one of the women is a nun, so she has to reconcile her 'unnatural' feelings with her religious beliefs and convictions. Don't worry there are no deep philosophical or theological ramblings in the nun's head as you might normally expect with religious FF characters. Instead the author uses various 'incidents' and assistance from 'friends' in helping the women resolve their issues. While less realistic, it makes for a much more exciting read.

I love all of Ms. McPherson's characters. As in her book, 'Colder than Ice', her characters here are headstrong, outspoken and very opinionated. There are also a number of interesting women supporting characters (esp. Adele and Mary) who deserve their own book.

I also love the way the author makes the women act true to their respective characters--which get in the way of their beginning and maintaining a relationship. It takes a while for them to get together, but the process is very well developed. The book is a tad longer than the usual lesbian romance but it is much better because of it. Just when you think everything is okay already, the author throws a monkey wrench and everything goes haywire. So much melodrama. Yummy!

...And the ending...it was like that movie "Imagine Me and You"--so melodramatic but fun !

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for historical fiction so was very pleased by the backdrop of this novel. The storyline was well plotted to amuse, create suspence and also enjoy a romantic ride between Catriona and Kathleen

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly too tacky for 1800's Australia. Heck, even for 2023 Tasmania where the author is from. The lack of capitalising Father and the ease in which Katherine went from Sister Flynn to Katherine was almost obscene. We might be more relaxed here, but we'd have stayed more respectful. I did expect the poor farmers to congregate at Gleneagle for the start of a missionary school though. Still, for a WLW set in Australia, it wasn't too bad.