Light A Penny Candle: Maeve Binchy

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Elizabeth White is sent to live with her mother, Violet’s childhood friend, Eileen O’ Connors who has large family. Elizabeth becomes friend with Eileen’s daughter Aisling. As both girls are of same age, they love each other’s company and grow into young women. 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?) Her style is a unique one which keeps the reader spellbound throughout the prose. “Light a penny Candle” is actually Binchy’s first published work, and I hadn’t read until just recently. I had been meaning to read it for quite some time, but I just never got around to. Once I did I really needed to voice some of my thoughts about the book. Synopsis

Beloved author Maeve Binchy’s first published novel, an engrossingcoming of age tale about the incredible bond of friendship.

Publication Order of Anthologies

Evacuated from Blitz-battered London, shy and genteel Elizabeth White is sent to stay with the boisterous O’Connors in Kilgarret, Ireland. It is the beginning of an unshakeable bond between Elizabeth and Aisling O’Connor, a friendship which will endure through twenty turbulent years of change and chaos, joy and sorrow, soaring dreams and searing betrayals…

Though the characters are captivating and enjoyable he book gets bland and uninteresting near the end. It feels like you are forcing yourself to read, the characters lose their charm and the prose drags on. I feel that because this is Binchy’s first novel she is still inept at writing endings and so drags it out and also makes the Aisling and Elizabeth (the protagonists) seem out of character. I find myself yearning for the rain-soaked watercolour writing of Maeve Binchy' JENNY COLGAN, GUARDIAN Best Comfort ReadsVivid characterisation really is the heart of this book. The main characters are loveable, especially lively red-head Aisling. There was a large supporting cast of distinctive characters: fun-loving Harry, narcissistic Johnny, moaning Maureen. I felt that I was supposed to like Eileen but I found her prematurely old demeanour and judgemental Catholicism quite unattractive. I couldn’t really relate to Simon and Henry – at first I assumed they were a gay couple – how wrong I was!

Wow. This was…not what I expected from Maeve Binchy’s debut novel. I have read and enjoyed many Maeve Binchy’s works before this (I just counted - looks like I’ve read 15!), and I enjoyed most of this one, but was slightly disappointed by the ending. It felt like a rather more dark work than I was anticipating.

This was her first novel and it's a little darker than others I've read but a very impressive first book with all her signature touches.