Most Popular Books by Maeve Binchy

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time "It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham," wrote Gore Vidal. "He was always so entirely there." Originally published in 1915, Of Human Bondage is a potent expression of the power of sexual obsession and of modern man's yearning for freedom. This classic bildungsroman tells the story of Philip Carey, a sensitive boy born with a clubfoot who is orphaned and raised by a religious aunt and uncle. Philip yearns for adventure, and at eighteen leaves home, eventually pursuing a career as an artist in Paris. When he returns to London to study medicine, he meets the androgynous but alluring Mildred and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. There is no more powerful story of sexual infatuation, of human longing for connection and freedom. "Here is a novel of the utmost importance," wrote Theodore Dreiser on publication. "It is a beacon of light by which the wanderer may be guided. . . . One feels as though one were sitting before a splendid Shiraz of priceless texture and intricate weave, admiring, feeling, responding sensually to its colors and tones." With an Introduction by Gore Vidal Commentary by Theodore Dreiser and Graham Greene

Fifteen tales on love and family at Christmas.

Whether it's the sudden snapping of bonds between lovers or shopping on Oxford Street, Maeve Binchy finds the unexpected truth in experiences so real that every woman will recognize them. Filled with her delicious humor and warmth, the twenty-two stories in London Transports will delight and captivate as they take us to a place that is far away—and yet so familiar...Where having an affair with a married man brings one woman to a turning point...Where another finds that looking for an apartment to share can be a risky business...Where nosing into a secretary's life can have shocking results...Where a dress designer just had a god-awful day...And where Maeve Binchy captures the beat of every woman's heart.

An account of four fateful years in the life of a small Irish town, and in particular of the family who run the local pub. The novel features interlocking stories of loves lost and won, hopes raised and dashed, ambitions nurtured and secrets betrayed.

Dusty grows up caring for her family, and, once she is old enough to organize her own affairs, she takes great care to move out of her parents’ home. Soon, Dusty is able to accomplish a great deal: she works long hours and is made senior partner at her firm, she keeps her own flat, and she falls hopelessly and irresponsibly in love with a married man. But, when her father telephones to report some disturbing news, Dusty must return home for the winter. There, heartbroken but still dutiful, Dusty finally reunites with her oldest friends. First published in the US as part of her encouraging book of missives to aspiring writers, The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club, “Dusty’s Winter” is essential Maeve. Inspiring and down-to-earth, her stories are full of the stuff of everyday life. Ireland’s “best-loved writer of her generation,” Maeve Binchy often wrote about ordinary life in small-town Ireland, and she is fondly remembered for the warmth and generosity of her prose. Maeve Binchy has received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Book Awards in 1999 and the Irish PEN/A.T. Cross Award in 2007 and is the author of many bestselling books including Maeve’s Times, Chestnut Street, and A Week in Winter. An eBook short.

When a new highway is planned that will bypass the town of Rossmore and cut through Whitethorn Woods, the town's inhabitants are divided on whether or not the town will benefit or suffer from the construction, while Father Flynn worries about the fate of St. Ann's Well, an age-old shrine on the edge of the woods that is slated for destruction. Reader's Guide available. 400,000 first printing.

The people of Rossmore, each with their own story, wait for the great road of progress...From the No. 1 bestselling author of HEART AND SOUL. The town of Rossmore is a special place, full of character and charm. Nestled beside the Whitethorn Woods, the town has grown since the days when it was small and friendly and everyone knew everyone else. But it still has the woods, with the well dedicated to St Ann, where generations have come to pray or make wishes or just to look back at the pretty little town. Which is why there is going to be such a fuss about the plans for the new road, cutting through Whitethorn Woods. The people of Rossmore are divided. No one is more concerned than the curate, Father Brian Flynn, who has no idea which faction to support. Surely Neddy Nolan's family should take the compensation being offered for their land? But wasn't Neddy's mother given a cure at the well many years ago? And what about the childless London woman who came to Whitethorn Woods begging the saint for help, with unexpected consequences?

Das Stone House ist eine zauberhafte Pension im Westen Irlands. Hier begegnen sich Menschen, die sich im Alltag nie begegnen würden, hier ereignet sich so manche Tragödie – und hier trifft der Leser auf gute Bekannte aus früheren Binchy-Bestsellern. Für sie und all die anderen Gäste wird der Aufenthalt zu einem schicksalhaften Erlebnis, das Augen öffnet und Hoffnungen zerstört, das Träume wahr werden lässt und die Weichen noch einmal ganz anders stellt.

A collection of Maeve Binchy's articles from The Irish Times.

The Journey... Every Friday night a lilac-colored minibus leaves Dublin for the Irish country town of Rathdoon with seven weekend commuters on board. All of them, from the joking bank porter to the rich doctor's daughter, have their reasons for making the journey. The Destination...Rathdoon is the kind of Irish village where family histories are shared and scandals don't stay secret for long. And this weekend, when the bus pulls in, the riders find the unexpected waiting for them...as each of their private lives unfolds to reveal a sharp betrayal of the heart, a young man's crime, and a chance for new dreams among the eight intriguing men and women on... "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Big, soft-featured Benny, an adored only child, and Eve, the poor, bird-like orphan brought up by nuns, are best friends in the small Irish town of Knockglen. On their first day at University College, Dublin, a fatal road accident brings the pair together with fellow students Nan Mahon and Jack Foley, and new friendships are quickly struck. Jack and Nan introduce Eve and Benny to a life of excitement and sophistication. But beneath their carefree existence trouble is brewing for the circle of friends. Warmth and laughter are interwoven with sadness in this compassionate and absorbing tale of friends whose lives, over a period of ten years, become entwined in a bizarre triangle.