Readers will smile with somewhat bittersweet satisfaction while they page through the latest (and perhaps the last) work by Irish fiction powerhouse Maeve Binchy (Circle of Friends). Binchy's stories of everyday life are just as outstanding as they've always been. But the great writer passed away in 2012, and this newly released collection of short stories is billed as a series of tales that she had stowed away for a rainy day. This anthology of charming chronicles will make many readers fervently hope that more of Binchy's writing is socked away somewhere to enjoy at a future date. She's that good.
While each of these distinctive stories is set in Ireland, they involve a variety of characters and time periods. What all of the characters have in common, however, is that they call Chestnut Street home. It's an avenue where philandering husbands tango with zealous cab drivers and over-sensitive psychics. It's a place where unusual friendships can spring up to save people from themselves. Chestnut Street is a venue in Binchy's imagination where the rich can learn from the poor and family ties are both tested and twisted, sometimes triumphantly so. The loosely related tales here range from enjoyable and humorous to achingly poignant.
The addition of quaint Irish vernacular helps transport the reader. Take a stroll down this street and you'll see ordinary people facing extraordinary situations that only Binchy could execute so effortlessly. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend