Thank you, Maeve

I was sad last week when I heard that one of my favourite authors, Maeve Binchy had passed away last week after a long illness. My grandmother had introduced me to her books several years ago when she loaned me her copy of ‘Light a Penny Candle.’ It was a long book (832 pages), but I was captivated from the moment that I opened the book and couldn’t put it down. Binchy’s characters are so real and it’s easy to get wrapped up in their trials and tribulations. She wrote about all kinds of relationships, from family, to friends to romance and gave each of her readers something to relate to. Reading her books made me feel as though I had explored Ireland, even though I’ve never been there, and her words made me want to visit that beautiful country even more.

A couple of years ago, I picked up ‘Nights of Rain and Stars,’ and it wouldn’t let me go. The plot intrigued me to the point where I wished it was a real story and that I could take part in it. Travelers from across the globe meet at Aghia Anna, a greek island village and are brought together by a boat accident, which they see from the restaurant where they are having their meal. There isn’t a great deal of action, however I became attached to the characters and felt for their struggles and sorrow and reading about the friendships that they formed was like sitting with them in the taverna where they gathered. This book made me ponder many things for days after I had finished it and made me want to go back into the world of Aghia Anna.

Thank you, Maeve, for moving so many to smiles and tears with your words. Your stories spoke to my heart, and will continue to do so for many years to come.