Embracing the Unexpected: "A Week in Winter" by Maeve Binchy

A few months ago I discovered the fantastic writing of Maeve Binchy.  At the time I had no idea that she was a well-known and beloved author, but I quickly figured it out as I read her first book, "Light a Penny Candle." After I finished that book, I went on an Amazon Wish List spree to find more of her books that I would enjoy reading.  One of those books was "A Week in Winter." As I expected, the plot line was completely different than "Light a Penny Candle," but it was still a very enjoyable book to read. It's also safe to say that the book had some unexpected elements that I definitely had to embrace, but that was also the whole point of the book.

"A Week in Winter" was the last book that Maeve Binchy wrote before she passed away.  The book was written for and dedicated to her husband, Gordon.  She wanted to share a book about love and the bond that it has between family, friends and sometimes complete strangers.

The main characters in the book are Chicky Starr, Rigger and Orla.  Together they take on the task of refurbishing an old Inn called Stone House on the coast of Ireland.  Stone House has rich history that Chicky doesn't want to be lost and the choice to move back to her home village is something she feels is necessary.  She also feels that preserving Stone House will be a liberating opportunity for her and to show her family she can make more of her life without them.  Together Chicky, Rigger and Orla decide that they will open Stone House for a week at a time during the winter when tourists may not generally come; thus providing a quiet retreat for people in need.

In previous blog posts, I've mentioned my favorite writing style is alternating point-of-view (POV) and I didn't realize this book was written in that style. In addition to this fact, I didn't realize that each chapter was describing the lives of each of the people who would be visiting Stone House for its inaugural event.  I have to confess this was confusing to me and my brain automatically expected at some point a dominant main character's POV would be presented again and the people's individual stories would tie back to the main character.  That was not the case and it was disappointing for me.  I can't remotely say the writing was poor because, hello, it's Maeve Binchy, but for me it was different because of preconceived expectations.  In a way, the book flowed more like a collection of short stories rather than a full-length novel.  The reader will definitely be able to connect the dots on how they will all interact at Stone House, but it's something that the author didn't really connect on paper for the ending.

On a positive note, the stories of the people who were coming to visit Stone House were all so amazing.  In true Maeve Binchy style she created characters with so much depth, pain and joy.  This was one thing that I really enjoyed about "Light a Penny Candle" because I could literally feel the emotion of her characters and it kept me reading, even when the plot was heavy.  That is a true art form in my opinion and the author definitely portrayed this exceptional quality in this book.  Each of the characters had a common struggle which was the unexpected events and paths of life. Can't we all relate to this sentiment? I know I can.  Each of the characters coming to visit Stone House had felt great failure in some form and made the decision to get away and figure it all out. They each embraced the unexpected in their own way and ended up together in this beautiful place where their similarities were shared more than their differences.  I loved this aspect and found myself dreaming about a life in which I could pack up for a week and retreat to a bed and breakfast by the sea with people who understood what failure and heartache felt like.  Hello, stress floating away.

Overall, I thought this book was a positive read with great writing and incredible characters. I don't know that I would choose to read it again, but only because the style wasn't my favorite. I think we can all agree that reading books about those who have overcome hardship can be very inspiring and motivating to continue our own good fight.

My recommended reading group would be age 16 and above.  It's a PG-13 read with adult relationship themes that might not be understood by readers under the age of 16. Nothing real crazy with sex or alcohol either.

The moral of the story: Life is always going to have days when we are hit with the unexpected or something happens completely the opposite of our expectation. However, that doesn't mean we should stop and close the book. Keep going. Always keep going.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

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Other Books by Maeve Binchy