It was the quiet ones you had to watch. That's where the real passion was lurking. They came together at Mountainview College, a down-at-the-heels secondary school on the seamy side of Dublin, to take a course in Italian. It was Latin teacher Aidan Dunne's last chance to revive a failing marriage and a dead-end career. But Aidan's dream was headed for disaster until the mysterious Signora appeared, transforming a shared passion for Italy into a life-altering adventure for them all . . . bank clerk Bill and his dizzy fiance Lizzie: a couple headed for trouble . . . Kathy, a hardworking innocent propelled into adulthood in a shocking moment of truth . . . Connie, the gorgeous rich lady with a scandal ready to explode . . . glowering Lou, who joined the class as a cover for crime. And Signora, whose passionate past remained a secret as she changed all their lives forever. . . . From the New York Times bestselling author of This Year It Will Be Different, The Glass Lake, and Circle of Friends, comes a novel filled with Maeve Binchy's signature warmth, wit, and sheer storytelling genius—a spellbinding tale of men and women whose quiet lives hide the most unexpected things. . . .
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"Thank you, LucyAnn! I don't think I would have ever tried this one without such a strong recommendation from you!! Italy, Ireland, romance, intricate character interactions. It reminded be a bit of J. Archer, but without all the politics and nastiness. All the main characters are nice people trying to do their best. As they meet, many unexpectedly end up helping others. It has a very, very nice feel-good way with it! It would make a lovely Masterpiece Theatre mini-series."
— Mhd (5 out of 5 stars)
" Another sweet read. "
— Julie, 2/14/2014" Just kind of boring, and didn't really care what happened to the characters. "
— Melissa, 2/1/2014" Evening Class was my first Maeve Binchy book. I'd just returned from Italy and was very interested in all things Italian. I found this book, somewhat by accident, at the library. Wow, what exceptional character development. She has become one of my two favorite authors and I've read almost everything she's written. "
— Michelle, 1/26/2014" First book I've read by her. I enjoyed it and will read another by her. "
— Carmen, 1/25/2014" This was fun in that it was about a group of people taking an evening Italian class, but otherwise the writing was pretty poor. "
— Maureen, 1/23/2014" I love Maeve Binchy and Ireland! "
— Kara, 1/21/2014" I plodded through this book, hoping I'd start liking the characters, but never did. I thought the idea of the book was great, but did not care for the people in it. "
— Coral, 1/19/2014" Love the intersection of so many stories of people so unlikely to become close friends. But isn't that the way life works! so many connections, so many surprises "
— Pam, 1/1/2014" Written very simply and focused on each of the characters in turn, while not earthshaking, the plot is pleasantly intertwined and realistic enough. Good to help the brain relax. A really good example of the 'comfort read' genre. "
— Rebecca, 12/14/2013" OK story about an Irish lady living in a small Italian town and is the mistress to the man across the street. She returns to Ireland and teaches Italian having immeasurable impact on many lives. Strongly evokes a sense of place. "
— Pooch, 12/3/2013" loved the first half of the book and then it became more or less ordinary. "
— Mieke, 11/29/2013Maeve Binchy (1940–2012) was the author of numerous bestselling books, including Minding Frankie, Heart and Soul, Whitethorn Woods, and Circle of Friends, as well as Tara Road, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. She 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 Gáis Irish Book Awards by the then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. She contributed to Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications.