Firefly Summer

Firefly Summer IS what I wish all the other Binchy books could be. If you are looking for a fast-paced read, I promise this is NOT the book for you. However, if you are looking for a well-crafted, intimate, multiple angle look into a Binchy-type community of characters, I propose that this one should top the list. So, if you have never read Maeve Binchy before -- do not let this be your first read. I would suggest starting with Echoes, then move on to Glass Lake, then Copper Beech, then (maybe) Light a Penny Candle, then Evening Class, then Scarlet Feather, SKIP Quintins altogether, then Circle of Friends, and cap it off with Firefly Summer. Then you will experience the true joy to be had in this story. (Just beware, most of her books have a "zinger" at which point the story really takes off. Firefly Summer's first "zinger" doesn't happen until about page 250 or so (depending on which copy you read) -- you have to be patient, and wait for it. From there, you're thoroughly hooked. (Can't wait to read her newest one....))

This book draws you in, all the family quirks and characteristics, the love, the trials, and the humor. This is another of her excellent books and I have to say I have read them all and she is one of my favorite authors. I just wish she would write another!

Ms. Binchy has the ability to transport the reader to another time/culture and make it utterly believeable and fascinating. This is my third Binchy and I cannot wait to begin another. Her characters are rich in character and their feelings and hopes and dreams can be identified with no matter where you live.

I have been on a Binchy marathon for the past nine months which has culminated with this novel, Firefly Summer. Let me tell you, this book was utterly fantastic. The story of Mountfern touched me from the very beginning when the kids learned their "special place", the burned remains of an old, once powerful mansion, would be rebuilt. Because of this, their entire world changed. Maeve Binchy spins a wonderful Irish yarn that takes a surprising plot twist at the end. If you liked The Glass Lake or Light a Penny Candle, this book is definitely for you. I can't stop raving about it!!!