Maeve Binchy was born on 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, the eldest child of four. Her parents were very positive and provided her with a happy childhood. Although she described herself as an overweight child, her parents' attitude gave her the confidence to accept herself for who she was. Following her heart diseases, arthritis gave her constant pain and as a result, she went through a major hip operation. Just after a short illness, Binchy died on 30 July 2012 in Dublin. On same evening, Vincent Browne announced her death on Irish television show Tonight with Vincent Browne and mourned for the passing of Ireland’s beloved, and well know novelist. Evacuated from Blitz-battered London, the shy Elizabeth White is sent to stay with the O'Connor family in Kilgarret, Ireland, where she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the lively, boisterous Aisling O'Connor. What better books to raise the spirits than the gentle, insightful Irish tales of Maeve Binchy?' HELLO! Magazine

Galway Bay" - the mystery man who wrote the classic song". Irish Examiner. 27 July 2018 . Retrieved 26 June 2019. Ten-year-old Elizabeth White, shy and fearful, is sent from war-torn London to stay with the O’Connor family in Ireland and there she begins a life-long friendship with Aisling. There’s a glorious cast of characters, and a rich and absorbing narrative. If you haven’t read it there’s a treat in store. And if you have read it already, I promise you, it’s just as good the second time around. And the third. And the fourth…This review is the Author’s opinion, the author does not claim anything stated here as fact. If you disagree with anything written in this article please do not hesitate to sound of in the comments down below. However, please keep in mind that the author is not liable for any information stated in this post. It is purely opinion.

No Comments Christine Green, Maeve Binchy’s agent, explains why her favourite is the first novel, Light a Penny Candle. Maeve Binchy was a columnist, playwright, short story writer, and novelist. She was also a speaker, loved for her humorous take on life in small towns of Ireland. She was known for creating stories with descriptive characters, in depth human nature and clever surprise endings. Her work has been translated in 37 languages with sales number of forty million copies worldwide. I would guess that the phrase derives from the days when such candles probably would have cost a penny to buy, and I am assuming (I hasten to add that I don't know) that it means to commemorate someone (something?)With warmth, wit and great compassion, Maeve Binchy tells a magnificent story of two women, bound together in a friendship that nothing could tear apart - not even the man who threatened to come between them forever. I also disliked some of the morals imparted by the novel, and that distracted from my enjoyment of it. (Can’t say much more without spoilers.) The novel also had some questionable themes and messages regarding abortion and polygamy that might be offensive to some. My Final Thoughts