The Benefactors is the debut novel from Irish writer Wendy Erskine, whose previous short story collections Dance Move and Sweet Home established her as a sharp observer of people and place.
Set in contemporary Belfast, the novel follows three mothers, Frankie, Miriam, and Bronagh, whose 18-year-old sons stand accused of sexually assaulting Misty Johnson at a party. The stark divide between Misty and the accused is not just the alleged crime, but their wealth, privilege, and social standing.
Counterbalancing the mothers’ power and privilege, the novel also gives voice to Misty and her family. Misty dreams of becoming a special effects makeup artist, and supplements her hotel job income through a platform called The Benefactors (or “Bennyz”), comparable to OnlyFans. This becomes a key point of contention, and the thread brushes against themes explored in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, particularly the way people using platforms like OnlyFans are unfairly judged and penalised.
The assault happens to Misty, but by centering the story on the parents, Erskine shows the rippling effects of trauma across families. She digs deep into family dynamics, class, and personal history, creating vivid, fully drawn characters. The novel explores the nightmare scenario for any parent, while also delving into their respective pasts, revealing the experiences, choices, and circumstances that shaped them, and portraying them as individuals in their own right. Every character feels fully realised, complex, and believably flawed.
Structurally, The Benefactors is multi-generational and multi-voiced, broken up by vignettes. Not every narrator’s identity in these vignettes is immediately clear, but the cumulative effect is a 360-degree view of the social attitudes and prejudices at play. Erskine’s writing style, while darkly funny and sharply observed, may take a moment to settle into, but once it clicks, it’s addictive.
It’s a brilliant, gutsy debut, one for readers of Dice by Claire Baylis, The Elements series by John Boyne, and Prima Facie by Suzie Miller. Also no spoilers: but the ending!!!!
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