The Light of Friendship: "Light a Penny Candle" by Maeve Binchy

It's rare that I make a trip to the thrift store on a mission for books and come away with nothing.  I've been pleasantly surprised with my local thrift store's selection of books.  They are very organized and accessible in an area where I can camp and read the backs of books for a long time.  I'll admit that I'm not one to retain author names and hone in on finding their books as I thrift.  I usually save my favorites on my Amazon Wish List and then reference it as I'm searching....maybe.....if I remember and have good cell service.  That doesn't always mean that I leave with the books that are on my list.  However, it gives me an idea of the genre that I know works well for me and then I can look for similar books.  It also really helps to have bookworm friends whose opinion I value, especially when it comes to book recommendations. This is the method of the madness for the thrifting ginger.

When I came home from thrifting with "Light a Penny Candle" by Maeve Binchy I had my usual bit of excitement and intrigue. The synopsis spoke of two girls who become fast friends during World War II when they were forced to live together in an Irish country village because children were being sent away from London. There was also mention of a bit of education in Catholicism and that made me chuckle because I'm kind of that girl....you know...the Mormon who knows a lot more about Advent and Lent than meets the eye.  Thank you, childhood in Miles City, MT.  What sealed the deal on my level of excitement was when I posted this book as my next read on social media and two of my friends went cray-cray. Apparently this author has been around a long time and they had both read ALL her books.  Ha! Happy accident ... again, but these two lovely friends are experts on good books so hello, winning Raylynn.  It's so great having friends who have good taste and I knew I was in for a treat.

The main characters of the book are named Elizabeth and Aisling.  Elizabeth comes from a very proper, stale, loveless home in London. Her parents tolerate each other to save appearances, but that's about it.  Aisling, on the other hand, is a spirited Irish redhead who comes from a large, head-strong, hard-working, loving family.  Aisling lives on the edge, but she also has her own sets of fears about the future.  We are very quickly transported in to the world of two girls who have no idea how great their life is because they are too busy making memories, yet they are brought back to reality and live through the sadness of war casualties, love lost, infidelity, abuse, abortion and changing family dynamics.

Because the book spans multiple decades, the reader will soon pick up on the common theme of the light of friendship.  These two girls were brought together in the most unexpected way, but they were connected forever and literally stuck with each other until the last sentence of the book.  It's incredible, actually.  There were times during the book that I thought they would part ways or lose contact, but they didn't.  I truly felt like I was in a movie for most of this book.  At about the halfway mark, I sent a text to my friend (one of the ladies who went cray-cray over the author) and told her I wasn't sure if I'd make it to the end.  There were some heavy themes presented and I almost threw in the towel.  But, I stuck it out and I'm so glad that I did.  When I finally read the last chapter, I couldn't even believe it.  I had to sit and read about 50 pages in one sitting because it was just so delicious.

Another element of this book that I really appreciated was the dedication these two girls had to each other in their moments of major imperfection.  Elizabeth is faced with the choice of abortion or completing an unwanted pregnancy and ultimately the decision she makes is one that she knows is best.  Aisling is the only person she tells and she comes to visit her to help with the recovery after the abortion.  Not a word of judgment is given by Aisling, the devout Catholic, just the support of a true friend.  Aisling makes a hasty decision in who she will marry and although the odds are not in her favor, Elizabeth makes time to join in the wedding festivities and travel to Ireland to be with the family.  When Aisling and Elizabeth are unable to be together they write the most beautiful letters to each other.  Much of their fears and worries are shared in these letters because they know that if they share them with their families it will only cause problems.

As I read this book, I was reminded of the many amazing friends I have in my own life.  The light of friendship is something that has kept me afloat on some really choppy waters and I related to these characters on so many levels.  I've been the person who needed people to just not judge and only love because I was having a terribly imperfect moment.....or moments.  There is so much value in having those kinds of people in your life.  I also know that it is a two-way street and in order to retain friends like this, the lights of our world when it seems so very dark, we need to BE that friend.  Stop with the judging and go with the loving.  That's what makes friendship so sweet! We get to pick our friends so pick the best in the bunch!

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with relationship elements, including pre-marital sex, alcohol abuse by a spouse, abortion and overall cultural difficulties that come from growing up as a woman in the 1940s through 1960s.

The moral of the story: Life can be really, really hard at times, but it can also be glorious.  Nothing makes it better and more bearable than the light of a dear friend.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R


Other Books by Maeve Binchy

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