finished 03.17.09

St. Patricks Day is the perfect day to finish a book by an Irish author whose stories typically take place in Ireland. I think Maeve Binchy’s target market is middle-aged women and maybe grandmas, which would make me want to hate her books, but I have a soft spot for them. Somewhere in the early to mid 90s I read Circle of Friends and I was hooked. Back then I read almost every Binchy book I could get my hands on. Before reading Whitethorn Woods, it was probably a decade since I last picked one up. I grabbed this book on a whim at CVS a few weeks ago and finished it last night.

Whitethorn Woods is features a a cast of interrelated characters who have some connection to an Irish town called Rossmore, which is situated next to Whitethorn Woods. In the woods is a well that people believe will make wishes come true. Each chapter, for the most part, is a different character’s point of view. I liked the book. I think Binchy has a great talent in creating characters that draw you in.

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