Book Review: A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

At times when you are reading so many murder mysteries, an easy to read book with a focus on good relationships gives you a whiff of fresh air. And you really need that! A good balance of everything… And my first Maeve Binchy, A Week in Winter was exactly that for me!

In fact, it was like a best of both worlds – a novel + short stories collection, for the stories of the guests was exactly that. Each of the characters feel so real and the place, where the story is set in is truly magical.

Some of the beautiful lines of this book:

“How will I explain it all … to everybody?” “You know, people don’t have to explain things nearly as much as you think they do.”

Her life was like her house—a colorful fantasy where anything was possible if you wanted it badly enough.

So, get a cup of tea/ coffee, find a nice cozy corner of your home and read this book and smile.

Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!

Book blurb: Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chicky is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms. John, the American movie star, thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian are forced into taking a holiday together; Nicola and Henry, husband and wife, have been shaken by seeing too much death practicing medicine; Anders hates his father’s business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired schoolteacher, criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone’s relief; the Walls are disappointed to have won this second-prize holiday in a contest where first prize was Paris; and Freda, the librarian, is afraid of her own psychic visions. Sharing a week with this unlikely cast of characters is pure joy, full of Maeve’s trademark warmth and humor. Once again, she embraces us with her grand storytelling. This is the last book that Maeve Binchy wrote before her sudden death. As are all her stories, it is her trademark warmth, humor and the kind of characters that will make her books live on. It is a privilege to be able to share this book with readers.

About the author: Maeve Binchy was born on 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, the eldest child of four. Her parents were very positive and provided her with a happy childhood. Although she described herself as an overweight child, her parents’ attitude gave her the confidence to accept herself for who she was. She studied at University College Dublin and was a teacher for a while. She also loved traveling, and this was how she found her niche as a writer. She liked going to different places, such as a Kibbutz in Israel, and she worked in a camp in the United States. While she was away, she sent letters home to her parents. They were so impressed with these chatty letters from all over the world that they decided to send them to a newspaper. After these letters were published, Maeve left teaching and became a journalist. Maeve married Gordon Snell, writer and editor of children’s books. When they were struggling financially, Light a Penny Candle was published, which made her an overnight success. Many of her books, such as Echoes, are set in the past in Ireland. Some of her later novels, such as Evening Class, take place in more modern times. Her books often deal with people who are young, fall in love, have families, and deal with relationship or family problems. The main characters are people whom readers can empathise with. She passed away on 30 July 2012, at the age of 72. Website: maevebinchy.com

Rating: 10/10

Genre:	Chick Lit, Romance
Book Name:	A Week in Winter
Author:	Maeve Binchy
Pages:	464
Publication Year:	2012