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“[The] prose is lyrical, carrying
the reader along like a lullaby…Each tale offers a lesson about our
preconceived notions and prejudices, themes that have been a Binchy hallmark…For
Maeve Binchy fans, Chestnut Street is
a gift bequeathed to the reader.”
— USA Today
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[The] prose is lyrical, carrying the reader along like a lullaby. . . Each tale offers a lesson about our preconceived notions and prejudices, themes that have been a Binchy hallmark. . . For Maeve Binchy fans, Chestnut Street is a gift bequeathed to the reader.
— Mary Cadden, USA Today
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Has everything that makes Binchy special, in small delicious bites; her ability to capture human nature, describe individual life arcs, and breathe life into characters and settings really shines in these stories. . . . Chestnut Street is fictional, but the characters are very real. It’s Binchy’s gift, this ability to tell stories through characters we recognize, can relate to, want to know. . . We believe in her world, and the people she populates it with. They may be very Irish, and often concern themselves with Irish issues—but at heart, the problems are human and universal.
— Bobbi Dumas, NPR
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As befits a Binchy book, this one is packed with charming takes on people’s quirks and foibles, nosy neighbors and friendly ones. Binchy eloquently exposes and explores relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, longtime and recently acquired friends.
— Daneet Steffens, The Boston Globe
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No one commits any murders or changes the course of world history. Instead, ordinary people deal with relatable problems, conveyed in compassionate, unadorned prose. . . . Here, as in her novels, Binchy’s humor furnishes a lot of the charm.
— Kathy Ewing, Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Here, life’s problems, blessings, landmarks and tragedies all happen in many and varied ways. And thankfully, Maeve Binchy’s touch is apparent in each and every story. She will be sorely missed in the world of storytelling.
— Kate Ayers, Bookreporter.com
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Gives us one last extraordinary look at ordinary people as they struggle with family relationships, romances gone awry, and the possibility for a better future. . . . One finds here insightful observations about human nature—all with Binchy’s thoughtful and loving touch that will be sorely missed.
— Publishers Weekly
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Binchy was well-known for creating realistic characters who interact in ordinary ways, in ordinary places. . . . Her many fans are sure to line up to read this.
— Booklist
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A posthumous collection of loosely linked stories from the much cherished Irish writer who died in 2012. . . . For Binchy aficionados, a late indulgence.
— Kirkus Reviews
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“Has everything that makes Binchy
special, in small delicious bites; her ability to capture human nature,
describe individual life arcs, and breathe life into characters and settings
really shines in these stories…Chestnut Street is fictional, but the characters
are very real. It’s Binchy’s gift, this ability to tell stories through
characters we recognize, can relate to, want to know…We believe in her world
and the people she populates it with. They may be very Irish and often concern
themselves with Irish issues—but at heart, the problems are human and
universal.”
— NPR
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“Chestnut Street will remind many readers why they made this beloved Irish author their favorite bedtime read.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review
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“As befits a Binchy book, this one
is packed with charming takes on people’s quirks and foibles, nosy neighbors
and friendly ones. Binchy eloquently exposes and explores relationships between
parents and children, husbands and wives, longtime and recently acquired
friends.”
— Boston Globe
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“Short stories that reflect a
sunnier but not saccharine take on life are literature’s rewards for time spent
reading on the dark side. And Maeve Binchy’s Chestnut Street is such a reward…[These stories] reflect Binchy’s
generous spirit and realism about human frailty, never ignoring it but always
empathizing with its cause…Though only a few pages long, each story is a
complete and always perceptive narrative…Binchy’s collection constitutes a
bittersweet parting gift from a storyteller who understood the ‘strange justice
of the world’ that shapes lives wherever they live. She is greatly missed.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch
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“No one commits any murders or
changes the course of world history. Instead, ordinary people deal with
relatable problems, conveyed in compassionate, unadorned prose…Here, as in her
novels, Binchy’s humor furnishes a lot of the charm.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
-
“Insightful observations about human nature—all with Binchy’s thoughtful and loving touch that will be sorely missed.”
— Publishers Weekly
-
“Binchy was well-known for creating realistic characters who interact in ordinary ways, in ordinary places…Her many fans are sure to line up to read this.”
— Booklist
-
“Here, life’s problems, blessings,
landmarks and tragedies all happen in many and varied ways. And thankfully,
Maeve Binchy’s touch is apparent in each and every story. She will be sorely missed
in the world of storytelling.”
— Bookreporter.com
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“This posthumous publication offers
a series of vignettes that celebrate the triumphs and sorrows that take place
on a modest residential Dublin street.”
— Library Journal
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“A posthumous collection of loosely
linked stories from the much cherished Irish writer…For Binchy aficionados, a
late indulgence.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“Narrator Sile Bermingham enhances
this diverse collection of short stories by the late Irish writer Maeve Binchy.
In these works, Binchy explores the theme of appearance versus reality. As
Bermingham captures the characters’ voices with gusto and realism, her best
creations are young women who are changing emotionally…While some stories are
better than others, anything new from Binchy is worth celebrating.”
— AudioFile