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Summary: I Can Picture the Place in Ireland
Review: This book is about a little town in Ireland, Shancarrig, where the young people carved their initials and those of their loves into the copper beech tree in front of the schoolhouse. Each person has a history in the story that Binchy tells us about. The first real character is Maddy, who is lonely, until one day she falls in love with the new priest Father Barry, which of course is forbidden, since he's a priest. There is Maura, who comes from a home with a drunken father who is anxious to make a life for herself. She marries Gerry O'Sullivan, and they have a Down-Syndrome baby whom he cannot accept, so he leaves. Eddie Barton, the third character in the story, lives with his mother who is a seamstress for a living. His dad took off a long time ago, so his mom has to make ends meet. He falls in love with a penfriend in Scotland, and eventually they meet and marry each other. Dr. Jims, met and married a lovely lady,and had three children. His wife died in childbirth, however giving birth to their son. Nora and Jim Kelly, the school teachers in the story, always wanted to have children and never could. When Nora's niece loses her mom in a tragic accident, they adopt Maria and give her a home. But not without some worries from the father who is allergic to responsibility. Nessa is a character in the story that has trouble with her overbearing mom. Eventually they come to terms. Richard, a womanizer has an affair with Darcy, a very married woman with two kids. Leo Murphy's life is a story in and of itself. After a tragic event, her mom falls into a state of shock, and never fully recovers. The story was overall, very enjoyable. If you like a nice going along book with family events, be sure to read this!
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Summary: Feel-Good Book
Review: This book is just like a soothing balm, about hopes, dreams, friendship and love. It definitely leaves a feel-good after-taste with the reader. My only complaint is that it tends to be too simplistic and things tend to work out too well in the end for the story to be believable.
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Summary: Offers great look into the lives of children in a small town
Review: This book offers a wonderful look into the lives of Maura, Eddie, Leo, Foxy, Nessa, Niall, and their families and friends as they grow from young children to mature adults with families of their own. Binchy goes into the lives of their parents, and the events that make all of them the way they are and do the things they end up doing. All of the characters' stories center around the copper beech tree in the schoolyard, where the children spend their formative years. The author magically creates an entire town based on the glimpses into the worlds of a few of the major characters, and during the time you are reading the book, you will be sucked into the lives of its people. I greatly enjoyed this book. I gave the book 4 stars because it did not quite approach the magic of Binchy's book, "The Glass Lake", although it came very close. The format of the book might not be popular with those that felt her most recent book, Quentin's, was too superficial, as each chapter in this book deals with a different character and what is going on their lives, in a similar fashion to the aforementioned title. However, all of the characters in this book interact in different ways, and it is wonderful to see how the actions of some are perceived by others. It serves as a great reminder that what goes on behind the scenes is frequently different from the story told by appearances.
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Summary: a good vacation book
Review: This book will keep you satified if you're a Binchy fan!
Rating:
Summary: Maeve Binchy at one of her best
Review: This is a simple story. Story of the lives of the kids in Shancarrig, and the copper beech that grew near the schoolhouse that had become an important symbol of their young lives. Those kids grew up, some had managed to change their way of life to better standards, but a few just had to be content with the little things their life had to offer. To me, this story is simply about growing up, and making changes in ones life.
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Summary: A wonderful read
Review: This is the first book of hers I read. I was so taken with her writing and characters that I had to go out and find anything else she had in print. She has an easy way of making the characters come alive and you feel as if you are in Ireland with them. It makes me want to take a trip to Ireland just to get a feel of the people and the land. She is my favorite author since the first book I read and I will read anything she has to print. Keep up the wonderful writing.
Rating:
Summary: Good vignettes
Review: This vignette-style novel presents the lives of eight people who carved their names, as children, in the copper beech tree in the small Irish town of Shancarrig. It was an interesting way to present these people's lives and the reader saw the life of the town through each person's eyes as well. We see that often, not all is as it appears, that those who seem to have it made really don't. Binchey allows us to see the daily struggles that occur in each person's life. The storylines criss-cross throughout the book and present a fairly complete picture of the years during which the stories occur and of the characters. While not as sweet as some of Binchey's other books, I still felt that I got to know and care about the well-developed characters.
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