Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy

Another great author!  You're probably thinking I say this alot and you'd be correct.  There are many authors out there that I really enjoy.  Some authors write many books but they are not necessarily consistently good.  There are other authors who are one-hit wonders and still more that were meant to be writers and I am pleased to have discovered them for myself. 

I'm not sure when I "discovered" Maeve Binchy but I have read all of her fiction titles from "Light A Penny Candle"  to "Chestnut Street" and I have loved every single one.   You may not know this but her title "Circle of Friends" was made into a movie and starred Minnie Driver. 

Chestnut Street is a book you'll want to savor.  Although I've been known to read a 368 page book in one evening,  I did not want this book to end and so I read it in three sittings.  Ms Binchy introduces us to each of the characters who reside on the street.  We become entwined in their stories.  I particularly liked the female characters who are portrayed as strong, independent women.  They don't have all the answers right away but they learn as they live their lives.

Unfortunately Ms Binchy left us way too soon.  She passed away in 2012.  The note inside the front cover states  "Maeve Binchy imagined a street in Dublin with many characters coming and going, and every once in a while she would write about one of these people.  She would then put the story in a drawer: "for the future," she would say.  The future is  now."

Thank you Ms. Binchy for sharing your gifts with us.  I believe you made the world a better place.

Ladybookbug!