Nights of Rain and Stars

A great vacation book about 4 travelers drawn to a town then drawn together. Their lives interact and they interact with the people in the wonderfully close small town.

This book was well worth the read. Maeve Binchy pulls you into her stories like an old friend welcomes you into their kitchen. Her characters are warm and interesting and evolve over the life of the story to reinforce your belief in the goodness of the human spirit. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story to raise their spirits and give them hope for the future.

After visiting Ireland I was delighted to find this Irish writer. While I liked her Quentins books, this was the first book that I was able to connect with the characters. I cared about them, not just read about events in their lives. I don't need to read the same formula every time. If that were the case I could reread the same books. I enjoy a little varity when I read. Maeve brought that to this book. I know I will revisit this book often.

Maybe this isn't Binchy's best, but I enjoyed it. The Greek setting was a place I wanted to visit. The characters were people I liked. If anything, I would have liked to learn more about them. Vonnie's story alone would make for fascinating reading.

I was surprised at the low reviews of this book. While it doesn't have the sparkle of some of her books, there's still no one who brings characters to the table like Maeve. She's a master! I still think it would be impossible to read half this book and not find out what happens in the end, so as far as I'm concerned, that's a great read. There's far too many books that are all plot, and I could care less if the heroine lives or dies. I ALWAYS feel for Maeve's characters, and that is a gift, she will always have. It's been too long since her last book, and I'm glad to see her return! I loved the different setting too.