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By Maeve Binchy
Published by Orion Books
an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd.
First published in Great Britain in 2012
It's taken me a long time to write something about this book. Knowing it will be the last Maeve Binchy book I will review is making this an unpleasant task. I have read every single one of her books, her short stories, her plays; whatever she has written, I have read. I have spent many a day in the Ireland of my mind's eye - an Ireland only Binchy could write about.
Set on the cliffs of the west coast of Ireland, Stone House is where guests arrive to stay for a week in winter. Each guest brings their own story to the hotel, and the hotel itself has its own story - previously, it had been the home of the Sheedy sisters and is now owned by Chicky who worked herself to the bone to get where she is.
As with a lot of Binchy's books, the characters are allotted their own chapters, with some intermittent crossing over of other characters both old and new. The week brings John, an American movie star; Nell, a retired school headmistress; Freda, a librarian; Anders, a Dutch businessman; future in-laws Winnie and Lillian; and the prize-winning Walls, among others. It is Chicky's belief that the lives of her guests will change once they are settled in and discover that walking on the local cliffs and trails and spending time with other people is far better than modern life with all its so-called conveniences. In true Binchy style, the lives of the guests blend nicely with the lives of the staff. Not all of the stories are happy ones, but they are all interesting.
I enjoyed this book and wanted to savour every word. It's a lovely book, and if you're already a Maeve Binchy fan you will certainly enjoy it. If you are new to the Maeve Binchy world (shame on you!), I would suggest starting with the same book I did: Light a Penny Candle. I have only re-read two books in my life and Light a Penny Candle was one of them.
I will miss Maeve Binchy. She brought a lot of joy and introspection to my life as I discovered Ireland through her words.
By Sheila O'Flanagan
Published by Headline Review
an imprint of Headline Publishing Group
First published in 2010
Dominique Brady, named after St. Dominic and pronounced the same way, was brought up in an ultra-religious Catholic home in Ireland. Her brother, Gabriel, is being groomed for the priesthood and his parents couldn't be prouder. Dominique, however, has no time to waste on religion and gets on with being a teenager in the 1980s, eventually getting a job in a diner where she meets her future husband.
Dominique's life changes over the years and she becomes a wealthy socialite, raising money for charities, and throwing the best parties. But life is never an easy path and Domino, as she is now known, has serious choices to make along the way. Of course, that's where the title of the book comes into play: if you're married, do you always stand by each other? If you're a family, do you always stick up for each other? When is it necessary to stand by your friends?
O'Flanagan always writes an interesting story, often with complex layers and digging deep into marital and family life. As well, O'Flanagan's supporting characters are well written and some become as important as the main characters in how the reader feels about them and how their lives will turn out.
Stand By Me is a bit of a saga, covering Domino's life from her late teen years into her forties. It dissects love, depression, betrayal, and religion, yet doesn't become boring or preachy. O'Flanagan has turned out yet another book that provides the reader with a good storyline, some thought-provoking moments, and an overall enjoyable read.
By Sheila O'Flanagan
Published by Headline Review, 2008
Anyone who reads Sheila O'Flanagan's novels already knows this is not the romance novel the marketing department would have you believe. O'Flanagan's female leads have interesting jobs, full lives, and the romance is often incidental. I'm not complaining; I wouldn't have been able to read her fourteen previous novels, otherwise.
Romy Kilkenny is a forensic archaeologist living in Australia. Her sister, Kathryn, is a forensic accountant living in New York. Darragh, the older brother, runs the family manufacturing firm in Ireland. A reunion of sorts occurs when the matriarch, Veronica, needs back surgery and the Dolan/Kilkenny clan ends up back in Ireland.
O'Flanagan has a keen eye for family dynamics and the child placement theory gets a run for its money in this story - older brother as family head, middle girl having to prove herself and Romy, the baby of the family, feeling left behind.
Romy's romantic life is a thread throughout the story, but the family is the story here. Now, who can I speak to about stopping the girlie cover art for O'Flanagan's books?
