Chestnut Street

Maeve Binchy

Apr 2014 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

Superb storytelling from one of the world's best-loved writers.

Just round the corner from St Jarlath's Crescent (featured in MINDING FRANKIE) is Chestnut Street. Here, the lives of the residents are revealed in Maeve Binchy's wonderfully compelling tales:

Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son. Nessa Byrne, whose aunt comes to visit from America for six weeks every summer and turns the house - and Nessa's world - upside down. Lilian, the generous girl with a big heart, and the fiancé not everyone approves of. And Melly, whose gossip about the neighbours leads to trouble in the form of the fortune teller, 'Madame Magic'...

'In Chestnut Street [there is] enough kindness, wisdom and insight into human nature, to remind readers why Maeve Binchy was one of the most beloved writers this country has ever produced' Irish Times

Ratings and reviews

3.5 Stars On the whole this was rather disappointing and I am not sure that the Editor here has done anything to further Ms Binchy's posthumous reputation. Many of the stories read like character studies or trial runs for a chapter in a long form novel which means that they don't actually work as a stand alone story. The ones that do work are probably those that were being worked on with a view to a more complete story about Chestnut Street and it's residents. I ranked each story as I read it and whilst none are terrible it is all a bit hit and miss: Dolly's Mother - 3 Stars It's Only A Day - 3.5 Stars Fay's New uncle - 3 Stars A Problem Of My Own - 2.5 Stars All That Matters - 3 Stars Joyce And The Blind Date - 2 Stars Liberty Green - 2.5 Stars The Cure For Sleeplessness - 4 Stars Miss Ranger's Reward - 3.5 Stars Decision In Dublin - 4 Stars The Wrong Caption - 4.5 Stars Star Sullivan - 2 Stars Taxi Men Are Invisible - 2.5 Stars A Card For Father's Day - 2 Stars The Gift Of Dignity - 3 Stars The Investment - 3.5 Stars The Leap Of faith - 2 Stars Lilian's Hair - 4 Stars Flowers From Grace - 3 Stars The Builders - 3.5 Stars Bucket Maguire - 3 Stars The Older Man - 3 Stars Philip And The Flower Arrangers - 3 Stars Reasonable Access - 4 Stars By The Time We Get To Clifden - 2 Stars The Women Who Righted Wrongs - 4 Stars The Sighting - 3 Stars The Lottery Of The Birds - 3.5 Stars Madame Magic - 3 Stars Say Nothing - 2.5 Stars Eager To Please - 2 Stars Seeing Things Clearly - 4 Stars Fair Exchange - 3 Stars The Window Box - 2.5 Stars Finn's Future - 3.5 Stars One Night A Year - 4 Stars Tara's Horse - 3 Stars

Just as well i read this over xmas break as lots of xmas stories. Maeve knows the way into your heart with her stories

B

About the author

Maeve Binchy was born in County Dublin and educated at the Holy Child convent in Killiney and at University College, Dublin. After a spell as a teacher she joined the Irish Times. Her first novel, LIGHT A PENNY CANDLE, was published in 1982 and she went on to write over twenty books, all of them bestsellers. Several have been adapted for cinema and television, including TARA ROAD. Maeve Binchy received a LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD at the BRITISH BOOK AWARDS in 1999 and the Irish PEN/A. T. CROSS AWARD in 2007. In 2010 she was presented with the BOB HUGHES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD at the BORD GAIS IRISH BOOK AWARDS by the President of Ireland. She was married to the writer and broadcaster Gordon Snell for 35 years, and died in 2012. Visit her website at www.maevebinchy.com