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Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chicky is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms. John, the American movie star, thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian are forced into taking a holiday together; Nicola and Henry, husband and wife, have been shaken by seeing too much death practicing medicine; Anders hates his father’s business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired schoolteacher, criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone’s relief; the Walls are disappointed to have won this second-prize holiday in a contest where first prize was Paris; and Freda, the librarian, is afraid of her own psychic visions.
508 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2012
5581 people are currently reading
19259 people want to read
About the author
Maeve Binchy
252 books4,961 followersAnne Maeve Binchy Snell was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings. Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.
She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club. Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.
She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club. Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,733 reviews
March 2, 2013
I started out really liking this book. I loved the premise of setting up a hotel in Ireland and found all the preparations exciting. The first half of the book largely focused on the life of the woman setting up the hotel, and it was enjoyable.
However, the book became very boring once the hotel was established. During the second half of the book, each chapter focused on a new character or characters, and their story that brought them to the hotel, and a sort of redemption from the time spent in Ireland during their week stay. It felt like a book of short stories. It also seemed a little shallow and forced when person after person had some major life problem when they arrived at the hotel, which was then resolved during their stay. My biggest disappointment though was that the book ended after the last character's story. I had hoped that stories would be revisited at the end and the story would circle back to characters, but that never happened. The end result was that I felt like I bonded with no one.
The book is a light-hearted, warm read and could be nice as a vacation book, but I was generally not very impressed.
However, the book became very boring once the hotel was established. During the second half of the book, each chapter focused on a new character or characters, and their story that brought them to the hotel, and a sort of redemption from the time spent in Ireland during their week stay. It felt like a book of short stories. It also seemed a little shallow and forced when person after person had some major life problem when they arrived at the hotel, which was then resolved during their stay. My biggest disappointment though was that the book ended after the last character's story. I had hoped that stories would be revisited at the end and the story would circle back to characters, but that never happened. The end result was that I felt like I bonded with no one.
The book is a light-hearted, warm read and could be nice as a vacation book, but I was generally not very impressed.
March 18, 2013
The literary world took a huge hit when it lost one of Ireland’s best and most beloved authors, Maeve Binchy, last year. But one shining light was that Maeve had completed her final novel, “A Week In Winter,” before her death, and what a beautiful tribute to this amazing author this final book is.
In her brilliant way of spinning a story, Maeve takes her readers to the west coast of Ireland to the village of Stoneybridge where hometown girl Chicky Starr has returned home to open a holiday hotel. As the story opens, readers are welcomed into the life of Chicky and the people who are helping her making her dream of creating a place of rest for others possible. There is Rigger, the bad boy who turns out to become a good man; Orla, Chicky’s niece, who is brilliant with figures and computer skills; and Miss Queenie, the matriarch of the house who spread her delighted joy in all the proceedings.
But it’s the guests who make their way to Stone House for its first week of business who make this story sing. John, the American movie star who is incognito; Winnie and her future mother-in-law Lillian (if they don’t kill each other first); Anders, the Dutch businessman who is facing a crossroads in his life; the Walls, the prize-winning couple who aren’t too pleased with their prize; Freda, the psychic librarian; and Miss Nell Howe, the most unpleasant retired school headmistress anyone has ever met. It’s this group of people and their individual stories that give the warmth and compassion that Maeve Binchy’s books are so famous for. There are even references to a few of the other characters from Maeve’s previous novels that make an appearance, although brief, in this tale.
The setting of the book is inspiring, the characters are personable and real, and the story flows from one chapter to another with such ease that it is a joy to read.
If an author’s life can have a cherry-on-top at the end of their life’s work, then “A Week In Winter” is certainly Maeve Binchy’s cherry!
In her brilliant way of spinning a story, Maeve takes her readers to the west coast of Ireland to the village of Stoneybridge where hometown girl Chicky Starr has returned home to open a holiday hotel. As the story opens, readers are welcomed into the life of Chicky and the people who are helping her making her dream of creating a place of rest for others possible. There is Rigger, the bad boy who turns out to become a good man; Orla, Chicky’s niece, who is brilliant with figures and computer skills; and Miss Queenie, the matriarch of the house who spread her delighted joy in all the proceedings.
But it’s the guests who make their way to Stone House for its first week of business who make this story sing. John, the American movie star who is incognito; Winnie and her future mother-in-law Lillian (if they don’t kill each other first); Anders, the Dutch businessman who is facing a crossroads in his life; the Walls, the prize-winning couple who aren’t too pleased with their prize; Freda, the psychic librarian; and Miss Nell Howe, the most unpleasant retired school headmistress anyone has ever met. It’s this group of people and their individual stories that give the warmth and compassion that Maeve Binchy’s books are so famous for. There are even references to a few of the other characters from Maeve’s previous novels that make an appearance, although brief, in this tale.
The setting of the book is inspiring, the characters are personable and real, and the story flows from one chapter to another with such ease that it is a joy to read.
If an author’s life can have a cherry-on-top at the end of their life’s work, then “A Week In Winter” is certainly Maeve Binchy’s cherry!
July 17, 2025
Oh my! Maeve is a supreme favourite deserving pride of place. I own many copies and will never part with them. Mum introduced me to this author, and we still talk about her. Often.
Chikky has her own back story; she is wise, hands on and a woman who seems to know what to say. Kind and caring, never over the top, she helps everyone who crosses her path. She becomes caretaker and owner of a crumbling mansion located near the ocean. She imparts a new lease of life, while one of the elderly original owners remains. She was a lovely character. Young Digger helps build this business, he was a troubled youth ending up with Chikky and becoming manager.
The story lovingly combines the handful of travellers with their various stories to have their holiday on opening week. I love reading about brochures being posted, old school phone calls, Chikky arranging personal transportation for her guests from trainstation to the bed and breakfast, the home made meals from Orla the niece who also dabbles in business skills.
A gifted librarian is heartbroken; a married couple has a strange fascination with entering competitions are bitterly disappointed with their prize; two unlikely travelling companions are almost stranded in the sea enforcing them to get to know each other properly; a movie star is troubled and enters incognito mode; a married doctor couple land there seeking solace and answers; a young man grapples with a career expected of him without passion; a very difficult newly retired headteacher.
As always, MB combines these relatively mild situations and sprinkles them with lessons, insight and beauty. Chikky led the blending, she gently guided these individuals to find peace, happiness and the feeling of being settled. Or not - if they could not sort themselves out.
This is a wonderful story of strangers coming together, communities supporting each other, familes learning truths about their kin.
I loved Maeve Binchy's last book, published after her death. Her death was such a loss. This is easy reading, and undemanding reading hours, it is full of joy. This book now sits on my favourites list.
Chikky has her own back story; she is wise, hands on and a woman who seems to know what to say. Kind and caring, never over the top, she helps everyone who crosses her path. She becomes caretaker and owner of a crumbling mansion located near the ocean. She imparts a new lease of life, while one of the elderly original owners remains. She was a lovely character. Young Digger helps build this business, he was a troubled youth ending up with Chikky and becoming manager.
The story lovingly combines the handful of travellers with their various stories to have their holiday on opening week. I love reading about brochures being posted, old school phone calls, Chikky arranging personal transportation for her guests from trainstation to the bed and breakfast, the home made meals from Orla the niece who also dabbles in business skills.
A gifted librarian is heartbroken; a married couple has a strange fascination with entering competitions are bitterly disappointed with their prize; two unlikely travelling companions are almost stranded in the sea enforcing them to get to know each other properly; a movie star is troubled and enters incognito mode; a married doctor couple land there seeking solace and answers; a young man grapples with a career expected of him without passion; a very difficult newly retired headteacher.
As always, MB combines these relatively mild situations and sprinkles them with lessons, insight and beauty. Chikky led the blending, she gently guided these individuals to find peace, happiness and the feeling of being settled. Or not - if they could not sort themselves out.
This is a wonderful story of strangers coming together, communities supporting each other, familes learning truths about their kin.
I loved Maeve Binchy's last book, published after her death. Her death was such a loss. This is easy reading, and undemanding reading hours, it is full of joy. This book now sits on my favourites list.
May 19, 2014
This book is decidedly cozy. I am not saying that as a bad thing, not remotely. What saves it is that it is not saccharine. Cozy, but not sickly sweet. Neither is it a challenging read, nor are there ideas that will occupy your brain for days, just a belief that taking time for yourself, in pleasant surroundings, surrounded by people who genuinely like people and take care of each other, in a gorgeous setting, is good for the soul.
It is not hard to convince me of this.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
It is not hard to convince me of this.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
April 11, 2017
A Week in Winter- Maeve Binchy's posthumous novel is achingly beautiful, so well written, a gift to any reader, and a sad goodbye to one of the world's most talented writers. Binchy has always held her readers gently in her grasp, telling them stories of people and places that capture our interest from the first few lines, and keep us fixated on her tales til the last page. I could not put this one down, and yet I dreaded finishing it, knowing there will be no more novels to follow. Binchy finished this one last summer, and then died, unexpectedly, a few weeks later. Each chapter is connected to the others, yet concentrates on the life of a different character, all of whom end up, in some capacity, whether as owner, staff or guest at Stone House, an old home, turned bed & breakfast, set high atop a cliff in small town Ireland, far from the bustling life in Dublin. Brothers and sisters, husbands & wives, children, friends, lovers and scoundrels all fill the pages to keep us glued to the words until the book is closed, and the story becomes a happy memory. Every character has some adversity to overcome (don't we all?) and most have love to give. I envy anyone who has not yet read this novel, because so much joy and beauty awaits them. There are not enough stars for me to give to A Week in Winter. Binchy has never disappointed me, from her first, Light a Penny Candle, which I remember reading in my 20's, in 1982, until the last sentence in her final novel. I remember saying something similar in 2010 when I finished reading Minding Frankie. Binchy just "gets" people, and always makes me yearn for hot tea, a roaring fire, and a cat in my lap.
March 7, 2021
I LOVE LOVE Maeve Binchy (RIP) This was her final book before her death and it was a pleasure to read.
The way she tells multiple stories and grabs your attention from page 1 is just absolutely awesome.
She starts out with Chicky's story. Destined to lead a life on the family farm and being content with this she accidentally falls head over heels with an American man and decides then and there she will leave Ireland for New York against her families wishes. Soon after, Chicky sees this American is not a hard worker with hippies coming in and out of their apartment night and day and never wants to introduce her to his wealthy family. Predictably enough things turn sour and they part ways. She gets a job in an accommodation house soon after where the woman is kind and never asks questions of her. One day her niece wants to go on a trip to America to visit her aunt and Chicky panics because she has never told her family that Walter Starr was no longer part of her life. Chicky talks to Ms. Cassidy about her situation. Ms. Cassidy suggests that she say he was killed in an automobile accident and that starts Chicky thinking of going back to live in Ireland indefinitely and starting a hotel business.
All the characters are revolved around her life and the hotel. Each new chapter and getting to know each person was a new happy surprise. It feels like we are gossiping about these people in a polite way and hoping each one has a happy ending but also laughing at their misfortunes and applauding them for wanting to change.
I highly recommend Binchy and her stories always set in Ireland.
The way she tells multiple stories and grabs your attention from page 1 is just absolutely awesome.
She starts out with Chicky's story. Destined to lead a life on the family farm and being content with this she accidentally falls head over heels with an American man and decides then and there she will leave Ireland for New York against her families wishes. Soon after, Chicky sees this American is not a hard worker with hippies coming in and out of their apartment night and day and never wants to introduce her to his wealthy family. Predictably enough things turn sour and they part ways. She gets a job in an accommodation house soon after where the woman is kind and never asks questions of her. One day her niece wants to go on a trip to America to visit her aunt and Chicky panics because she has never told her family that Walter Starr was no longer part of her life. Chicky talks to Ms. Cassidy about her situation. Ms. Cassidy suggests that she say he was killed in an automobile accident and that starts Chicky thinking of going back to live in Ireland indefinitely and starting a hotel business.
All the characters are revolved around her life and the hotel. Each new chapter and getting to know each person was a new happy surprise. It feels like we are gossiping about these people in a polite way and hoping each one has a happy ending but also laughing at their misfortunes and applauding them for wanting to change.
I highly recommend Binchy and her stories always set in Ireland.
August 15, 2025
This book was released in 2012, after the author's death on July 30 of the same year. For many Binchy fans, this book was an emotional gift.
Chicky grew up in Stoneybridge, West of Ireland. Her family was very upset when she decided to run off to America with a handsome young man (Walter Starr). Although she wrote about her time in New York, it was purely fiction, and each year she would return alone to Stoneybridge to take respite.
Queenie Sheedy is the sole remaining sister. On one of Chicky’s return trips home, Queenie asks if she would consider buying the Stone House and turning it in to a hotel. At first taken aback, Chicky realizes this could be precisely what she needs to secure her return to Ireland. And that is exactly what she sets out to do so she can create a warm retreat for guests.
Chicky also enlists the help of a few locals, and some family to refurbish and prepare Stone House for guests. Everyone involved also requires some healing of their own, and have attached themselves to Queenie, Chicky and Stoneybridge.
Stone House can also be considered a character too, because it is a gathering place for all the characters. And all the care that goes into the renovations.
And now…
A “week in winter” at Stoneybridge is ready to welcome a diverse guest list, all with their own private reasons for needing a week away in a warm, quiet hotel to get their priorities in order and find the peace they seek in their lives.
Each chapter is devoted to one character that finds themselves at Stone House. The story lines interweave and readers see other points of view – watching problems being resolved and relationships forming.
Maeve Binchy at her best. Truly a gift read. Especially knowing this was her last.
Chicky grew up in Stoneybridge, West of Ireland. Her family was very upset when she decided to run off to America with a handsome young man (Walter Starr). Although she wrote about her time in New York, it was purely fiction, and each year she would return alone to Stoneybridge to take respite.
Queenie Sheedy is the sole remaining sister. On one of Chicky’s return trips home, Queenie asks if she would consider buying the Stone House and turning it in to a hotel. At first taken aback, Chicky realizes this could be precisely what she needs to secure her return to Ireland. And that is exactly what she sets out to do so she can create a warm retreat for guests.
Chicky also enlists the help of a few locals, and some family to refurbish and prepare Stone House for guests. Everyone involved also requires some healing of their own, and have attached themselves to Queenie, Chicky and Stoneybridge.
Stone House can also be considered a character too, because it is a gathering place for all the characters. And all the care that goes into the renovations.
And now…
A “week in winter” at Stoneybridge is ready to welcome a diverse guest list, all with their own private reasons for needing a week away in a warm, quiet hotel to get their priorities in order and find the peace they seek in their lives.
Each chapter is devoted to one character that finds themselves at Stone House. The story lines interweave and readers see other points of view – watching problems being resolved and relationships forming.
Maeve Binchy at her best. Truly a gift read. Especially knowing this was her last.
February 28, 2013
I've always loved Maeve Binchy and am going to miss her a lot. She's my writer hero and two of my high moments as a writer were having one of my Irish trilogy books appear in a display with her in the Shannon airport duty free shop, and last summer appearing on the New York Times bestseller list with her. Even with her weaker books (and this one wasn't), she's a better storyteller than most writers out there. Which, along with the fact that she kept me totally engaged and turning the pages, is why I gave A Week in Winter five stars.
One odd note, to me, was that the book seemed about 85% narrative. It worked for her voice, as if she was sitting across a table in an Irish pub, telling me the story over a foam-topped pint in front of a turf fire. And, as I said, I kept turning pages to find out what happened. But since books, at least in America, are so dialogue heavy these days, I couldn't help noticing it.
There was something else niggling me about the story that I didn't figure out until I puzzled on it a few days after finishing the book. All the guests who arrive at the guest house the main character has restored have their stories told in a few chapters. Then there are a few scenes where they all are shown having dinner together, but Binchy could have switched all those chapters around and it wouldn't have made a difference because they were more like short stories woven together by putting the characters in the same house at the same time.
Not that it didn't work. It did. But it wasn't a format most readers have come to expect from a novel. The worst part was getting to that last page and realizing it was the last new Binchy book I'd ever read.
One odd note, to me, was that the book seemed about 85% narrative. It worked for her voice, as if she was sitting across a table in an Irish pub, telling me the story over a foam-topped pint in front of a turf fire. And, as I said, I kept turning pages to find out what happened. But since books, at least in America, are so dialogue heavy these days, I couldn't help noticing it.
There was something else niggling me about the story that I didn't figure out until I puzzled on it a few days after finishing the book. All the guests who arrive at the guest house the main character has restored have their stories told in a few chapters. Then there are a few scenes where they all are shown having dinner together, but Binchy could have switched all those chapters around and it wouldn't have made a difference because they were more like short stories woven together by putting the characters in the same house at the same time.
Not that it didn't work. It did. But it wasn't a format most readers have come to expect from a novel. The worst part was getting to that last page and realizing it was the last new Binchy book I'd ever read.
February 27, 2013
So bittersweet to finish this Maeve Binchy book, knowing that there will be no more. Once again, it felt like coming home! Love all of the characters presented in this book, all of them traveling to Stoneybridge to either work or stay at Stone House. I think that if you want to read this book, you should first make sure that you've read many books she has written before, because old characters are mentioned, places are returned to, and it just gives that much more pleasure! So if you want to read this, go back and read her earlier works, including Quentin's, Heart and Soul, Minding Frankie, and maybe others. They're all so good anyway. Ah. Maeve.
December 5, 2014
4.5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. This is my first Maeve Binchy read, and I am so happy to have discovered her. I usually read thrillers and this book fit the bill for a satisfying change of pace. From what I see from other reviewers, I am very fortunate to have all the rest of her books to enjoy!
The story revolves around a group of people who meet at a lovely Irish holiday/vacation house during one week in winter. The owner (Chicky Starr) and the main employees (Rigger and Orla) are also featured. The tale is clearly totally character-driven, and I do love that style of book. Ms. Binchy uses a clever mechanism to give each person’s story. Each chapter is devoted to one person (or one couple in the case of the doctors) and towards the end of the chapter, the character’s experience at the vacation home and interactions with the other members of the cast is described. To my delight and surprise, Ms. Binchy was able to pull me into each new chapter with each new character quickly, within a page or two, captivating me for the entire novel. Though some reviewers thought this story-telling technique led to a book of short stories, I found the characters to come together nicely.
I was saddened to see that Ms. Binchy passed away shortly after finishing A Week in Winter at the relatively young age of 72. I very much look forward to reading many more of her books. I recommend her final novel to anyone who loves character-driven fiction and a good story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. This is my first Maeve Binchy read, and I am so happy to have discovered her. I usually read thrillers and this book fit the bill for a satisfying change of pace. From what I see from other reviewers, I am very fortunate to have all the rest of her books to enjoy!
The story revolves around a group of people who meet at a lovely Irish holiday/vacation house during one week in winter. The owner (Chicky Starr) and the main employees (Rigger and Orla) are also featured. The tale is clearly totally character-driven, and I do love that style of book. Ms. Binchy uses a clever mechanism to give each person’s story. Each chapter is devoted to one person (or one couple in the case of the doctors) and towards the end of the chapter, the character’s experience at the vacation home and interactions with the other members of the cast is described. To my delight and surprise, Ms. Binchy was able to pull me into each new chapter with each new character quickly, within a page or two, captivating me for the entire novel. Though some reviewers thought this story-telling technique led to a book of short stories, I found the characters to come together nicely.
I was saddened to see that Ms. Binchy passed away shortly after finishing A Week in Winter at the relatively young age of 72. I very much look forward to reading many more of her books. I recommend her final novel to anyone who loves character-driven fiction and a good story.
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August 6, 2025I read this a week ago but haven't mustered enough enthusiasm to write anything about it. No star rating, because I knew it wasn't my sort of book going into it, and no point punishing the author for failing to please an audience of one.
Backstory: A while back, I gave a lukewarm review to a book I purchased in a small airport bookshop. I mentioned it was either that or "Mauve Binchy". One of my GR friends, after correcting my understanding of her first name, challenged me to read a book by good ol' Maeve, so, ever the obedient pupil, I did. I was warned, both by my GR friend as well as numerous book blurbs, that these were warm, feel-good books typically set in rural Ireland. Apparently there's two rural Irelands: The brooding, threatening land full of violent-tempered landsmen explored by Tana French, and the wholesome refuge from the city that is Ms. Binchy's domain.
I chose "A Week in Winter" from the copious volumes in my library because it promised a bunch of different people sitting in an inn for a week, getting to know each other, sharing stories and adventures. But Maeve had other ideas -- first we got a whole three generations of backstory as to how the inn came to be, which consumed over 200 pages, before we even met any of the guests. And then, each guest was treated essentially as a self-standing short story, with minimal interaction between the guests. With one exception, a sociopathic ex-schoolmarm, each story ended in a neat and tidy fashion. I was reminded of old TV shows like "The Love Boat". Except, unlike said boat, this book never brought in the Village People or Tom Hanks for a cameo.
Somebody -- you know who you are -- owes me a Guinness, preferably in Connacht somewhere.
Backstory: A while back, I gave a lukewarm review to a book I purchased in a small airport bookshop. I mentioned it was either that or "Mauve Binchy". One of my GR friends, after correcting my understanding of her first name, challenged me to read a book by good ol' Maeve, so, ever the obedient pupil, I did. I was warned, both by my GR friend as well as numerous book blurbs, that these were warm, feel-good books typically set in rural Ireland. Apparently there's two rural Irelands: The brooding, threatening land full of violent-tempered landsmen explored by Tana French, and the wholesome refuge from the city that is Ms. Binchy's domain.
I chose "A Week in Winter" from the copious volumes in my library because it promised a bunch of different people sitting in an inn for a week, getting to know each other, sharing stories and adventures. But Maeve had other ideas -- first we got a whole three generations of backstory as to how the inn came to be, which consumed over 200 pages, before we even met any of the guests. And then, each guest was treated essentially as a self-standing short story, with minimal interaction between the guests. With one exception, a sociopathic ex-schoolmarm, each story ended in a neat and tidy fashion. I was reminded of old TV shows like "The Love Boat". Except, unlike said boat, this book never brought in the Village People or Tom Hanks for a cameo.
Somebody -- you know who you are -- owes me a Guinness, preferably in Connacht somewhere.
April 4, 2013
Made Me Want to Spend a Week at Stone House
Chicky falls in love with Walter. He convinces her to leave Stoneybridge in Ireland and come to New York with him, promising that they will always be together. Forever turns out to be a couple of months. Chicky is left alone in New York with no friends and no job. Luckily she finds work at Mrs. Cassiday's boarding house. Chicky doesn't want to go home and confess what a mess her life turned out to be, but Mrs. Cassiday finally convinces her and to her amazement, she loves being back. She loves it so much that she makes arrangements to buy Stone House from Miss Queenie Sheedy. Thus starts the plan to turn Stone House into a select hotel.
This is a delightful, sunny story that makes you feel good inside just reading about Stone House and all the marvelous characters, guests and staff, that help to make the hotel a reality. The book is actually a series of short stories all tied together by the theme of preparing Stone House to become a hotel and welcome guests. Each story is complete, but they build on each other to compose the picture of the hotel and its guests.
I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Maeve Binchy, or if you just want to curl up and take a journey of the imagination to Stone House on the coast of Ireland.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
Chicky falls in love with Walter. He convinces her to leave Stoneybridge in Ireland and come to New York with him, promising that they will always be together. Forever turns out to be a couple of months. Chicky is left alone in New York with no friends and no job. Luckily she finds work at Mrs. Cassiday's boarding house. Chicky doesn't want to go home and confess what a mess her life turned out to be, but Mrs. Cassiday finally convinces her and to her amazement, she loves being back. She loves it so much that she makes arrangements to buy Stone House from Miss Queenie Sheedy. Thus starts the plan to turn Stone House into a select hotel.
This is a delightful, sunny story that makes you feel good inside just reading about Stone House and all the marvelous characters, guests and staff, that help to make the hotel a reality. The book is actually a series of short stories all tied together by the theme of preparing Stone House to become a hotel and welcome guests. Each story is complete, but they build on each other to compose the picture of the hotel and its guests.
I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Maeve Binchy, or if you just want to curl up and take a journey of the imagination to Stone House on the coast of Ireland.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
January 12, 2013
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy is what I would call a cosy and easy read but an uninspiring read.
I would sum it up as a collection of short stories about different people and how their problems were solved by a week in winter staying at and Irish Hotel.
The stories are pretty predictable with no real depth to them and the characters are quite bland and I could not really gel or care about any of them. I felt the writing was hurried and the novel concluded with the all problems solved. Just a bit too twee for my liking.
It is certainly readable and I found myself plodding along with each chapter but for me this is not a book that will stay with me and I don’t think it will make a good book club read as discussion would be pretty limited.
I have enjoyed previous books by Maeve Binchy but this one is really not up to her normal standards. I will remember her more for her wonderful novels like Circle of Friendsand
The Glass Lake which although read years ago these stories still remain with me.
A 2.5 rating for me.
I would sum it up as a collection of short stories about different people and how their problems were solved by a week in winter staying at and Irish Hotel.
The stories are pretty predictable with no real depth to them and the characters are quite bland and I could not really gel or care about any of them. I felt the writing was hurried and the novel concluded with the all problems solved. Just a bit too twee for my liking.
It is certainly readable and I found myself plodding along with each chapter but for me this is not a book that will stay with me and I don’t think it will make a good book club read as discussion would be pretty limited.
I have enjoyed previous books by Maeve Binchy but this one is really not up to her normal standards. I will remember her more for her wonderful novels like Circle of Friendsand
The Glass Lake which although read years ago these stories still remain with me.
A 2.5 rating for me.
June 16, 2014
A lovely read. Undemanding. Warm. Funny. Touching. Maeve gives you just enough information about her characters to make them interesting without the overload of stuff that many authors seem to think you need, which only proves confusing. Or maybe I'm just getting old.
September 8, 2023
I've never read a book by Maeve Binchy but I have had this book for several years hanging around and I'm really trying to go through some of my physical TBR piles....they are out of control! Anyways...this was a cute little jem to find. I just found out she passed in 2012 and this was her last book as well. I am honored to have read a pretty decent read from an obviously very talented author. And to be honest this book didn't have the drama that keeps me interested in reading so I wasn't sure how I was going to like it. But her wonderful storytelling and the way the Irish Seaside came to life through her words was enough to keep me hooked.
I really enjoyed reading about each characters lives, hopes, and struggles. Each character has their own story but they are all intertwined with their stay at Stone House. And I liked each and every character, well almost every, Miss Howe was just to extremely unhappy. Each one has an inner turmoil that has brought them to the beautiful Irish Coast to reflect. It was really a treat to get a look at so many people's lives in one book and feel an attachment to each story. Sometimes with multiple characters it can get a bit overwhelming but it was not the case with this book. Ms. Binchy does such a good job with each story.
The only downside was the way the book ended to me. It was a let down after all the wonderful stories how the book concluded. It felt rushed and incomplete... I guess I was expecting a bigger better ending. And some closure for certain characters in particular.
Anyways this really was a good book for anyone who likes to read about different cultures, a good general fiction/women's fiction book, or even short stories, because each story is kind of like a short story all wrapped up in bigger story.
I look forward to reading some of Ms. Binchy's older works and more of her interesting story telling.
I really enjoyed reading about each characters lives, hopes, and struggles. Each character has their own story but they are all intertwined with their stay at Stone House. And I liked each and every character, well almost every, Miss Howe was just to extremely unhappy. Each one has an inner turmoil that has brought them to the beautiful Irish Coast to reflect. It was really a treat to get a look at so many people's lives in one book and feel an attachment to each story. Sometimes with multiple characters it can get a bit overwhelming but it was not the case with this book. Ms. Binchy does such a good job with each story.
The only downside was the way the book ended to me. It was a let down after all the wonderful stories how the book concluded. It felt rushed and incomplete... I guess I was expecting a bigger better ending. And some closure for certain characters in particular.
Anyways this really was a good book for anyone who likes to read about different cultures, a good general fiction/women's fiction book, or even short stories, because each story is kind of like a short story all wrapped up in bigger story.
I look forward to reading some of Ms. Binchy's older works and more of her interesting story telling.
January 3, 2013
As posted on my blog: http://nualareilly.wordpress.com/2013...
It was in my stocking Christmas morning.
Maeve Binchy’s last book; A Week in Winter.
I have mentioned before how much I loved her work. How much I identified with her characters and how reading her books made me feel like I was sitting down with old friends. Something about her words touched me in a way few other books do, and, like many of her fans, I have read (and own) every single book she ever wrote. When she died a few months ago, I actually cried. It felt like I had lost a friend.
And then the news: Maeve had written one more book and her editor was finishing up the last polish on it and was going to release it.
A Week in Winter is written in a style that Maeve was fond of in almost half of her books. We get the general idea of the story, and then she dedicates a chapter to each key character and tells us how they came to be a part of the story at large. This way we get a novel, but buried in it are several short stories and Maeve is still the queen of making me fall in love with a character in just a few short pages. Plus, her last book has a Nuala in it, so how could I not love it?
I was reluctant to start it at first. My husband commented that he was surprised that I didn’t rip into it immediately, but starting this book was bitter sweet for me, since it was the last new book of hers I would ever read. Eventually though, I did pick it up, crack the pristine spine, and begin to read.
This time Maeve took us to the West of Ireland, which I loved, since that is the part of my father’s homeland that I fell in love with when I was there two years ago. A small seaside town where people lived modest lives. Where young Chicky (as she is called) ‘disgraces’ her family by falling in love with an American visitor and running away with him to New York. To save face with her family and preserve her (and their honour) she invents, through her letters home, a marriage to him and a life very different from the bohemian one she is living.
Alas, as happens, the romance fizzles out, but Chicky, not wanting to go home in shame, carries on living her life in New York and keeping up the lie of her life with yearly visits home and letters.
Back in her hometown, the three Sheedy sisters who owned and lived in the large house on the hill begin to die. When the last Sheedy sister is left and with Chicky in town on a visit, the ladies strike a bargain to turn the grand home into a hotel and for Chicky to come home and run it. Her lover long gone, Chicky invents a tragic accident to her family, embraces life as a fictional widow and embarks on a journey to change her fate.
As the first opening week approaches, Chicky is nervous of getting the hotel off to a good start. It’s hard to promote a Winter vacation in a seaside place, but she manages to fill the rooms.
Not wanting to spoil all the stories, I will tell you that the rest of the book goes into the lives of all the visitors in that first week of the hotel being open.
With no surprise, Maeve delves into the lives of these people with a grace and warmth that holds my attention and makes me want to meet them, be a visitor at that table in the dining room and hear the laughter and conversation that happens over the lovingly cooked meals. She makes me want to walk the cliff paths she describes, play with the baby twins and sit in the Sheedy sitting room with a hot cuppa tea and the fire roaring beside me.
I finished the book in less than a day, and, as happens when I close the back cover on one of her stories, I was sad to end it. Though, like most of her books, I know that I will pick it up again and again as the years go on and slip comfortably back into her characters like a pair of well worn slippers, the contours of which fit me so exactly its like they were made solely for me.
Thank you Maeve, for leaving us with this sweet parting gift. Your words will ever be a song in my heart.
It was in my stocking Christmas morning.
Maeve Binchy’s last book; A Week in Winter.
I have mentioned before how much I loved her work. How much I identified with her characters and how reading her books made me feel like I was sitting down with old friends. Something about her words touched me in a way few other books do, and, like many of her fans, I have read (and own) every single book she ever wrote. When she died a few months ago, I actually cried. It felt like I had lost a friend.
And then the news: Maeve had written one more book and her editor was finishing up the last polish on it and was going to release it.
A Week in Winter is written in a style that Maeve was fond of in almost half of her books. We get the general idea of the story, and then she dedicates a chapter to each key character and tells us how they came to be a part of the story at large. This way we get a novel, but buried in it are several short stories and Maeve is still the queen of making me fall in love with a character in just a few short pages. Plus, her last book has a Nuala in it, so how could I not love it?
I was reluctant to start it at first. My husband commented that he was surprised that I didn’t rip into it immediately, but starting this book was bitter sweet for me, since it was the last new book of hers I would ever read. Eventually though, I did pick it up, crack the pristine spine, and begin to read.
This time Maeve took us to the West of Ireland, which I loved, since that is the part of my father’s homeland that I fell in love with when I was there two years ago. A small seaside town where people lived modest lives. Where young Chicky (as she is called) ‘disgraces’ her family by falling in love with an American visitor and running away with him to New York. To save face with her family and preserve her (and their honour) she invents, through her letters home, a marriage to him and a life very different from the bohemian one she is living.
Alas, as happens, the romance fizzles out, but Chicky, not wanting to go home in shame, carries on living her life in New York and keeping up the lie of her life with yearly visits home and letters.
Back in her hometown, the three Sheedy sisters who owned and lived in the large house on the hill begin to die. When the last Sheedy sister is left and with Chicky in town on a visit, the ladies strike a bargain to turn the grand home into a hotel and for Chicky to come home and run it. Her lover long gone, Chicky invents a tragic accident to her family, embraces life as a fictional widow and embarks on a journey to change her fate.
As the first opening week approaches, Chicky is nervous of getting the hotel off to a good start. It’s hard to promote a Winter vacation in a seaside place, but she manages to fill the rooms.
Not wanting to spoil all the stories, I will tell you that the rest of the book goes into the lives of all the visitors in that first week of the hotel being open.
With no surprise, Maeve delves into the lives of these people with a grace and warmth that holds my attention and makes me want to meet them, be a visitor at that table in the dining room and hear the laughter and conversation that happens over the lovingly cooked meals. She makes me want to walk the cliff paths she describes, play with the baby twins and sit in the Sheedy sitting room with a hot cuppa tea and the fire roaring beside me.
I finished the book in less than a day, and, as happens when I close the back cover on one of her stories, I was sad to end it. Though, like most of her books, I know that I will pick it up again and again as the years go on and slip comfortably back into her characters like a pair of well worn slippers, the contours of which fit me so exactly its like they were made solely for me.
Thank you Maeve, for leaving us with this sweet parting gift. Your words will ever be a song in my heart.
November 18, 2012
Forget vampires, sado-masochism et al, the so-called 'in vogue' genres in the literature of today. Curling up with a Maeve Binchy novel is a bit like snuggling up on a cold winter's night with a big mug of hot chocolate. Like the chocolate, you never want the book to end, yet you cannot put it down until you do so. She gently pulls you into the plotline, introducing the characters one by one, each with their own agenda. The focal point in 'A Week in Winter' is Stone House, a newly-opened hotel, a project for Chicky, the central character, who carries a secret. The characters, from all walks of life, come together, ultimately finding things out about themselves and each other. A wonderful, warming descriptive narrative from the lovely Maeve, sadly no longer with us.
April 8, 2013
I loved this book so much. I can't believe this was her last book and she is gone. I haven't read her in years but going to go back and start reading them when I can. I highly recommend this book. I fell in love with each character and the Inn as well. Ok so one of the characters I didn't fall in love with but felt sorry for her. I love how all of these people from all walks of life come together at this beautiful Inn and that you also get a glimpse into their lives and what brought them there. Very touching.
October 5, 2016
This was a great cozy. I love how MB can creat such ingenious characters that really stick with you. This story is a walk through the lives and backgrounds of a group of people who have never met and are from different places in the world. One week they all end up at a magical bed and breakfast. Not a paranormal place, just a place where it's history creates a sense and environment prone to heeling. MB makes it easy to get to know, care about and take journeys with all her wonderful characters. Fantastic picturesque scenery settings of the Irish coast helped bring long walks and cave adventures to life. The descriptions of the weather have spurred me onto starting some new fall and winter reads. Thank you Maeve Binchy, you are and will be missed.
June 1, 2022
I loved this unusual novel. Written more like a series of novellas than one long novel, this book deals with the different people who will eventually either work at Stone House or stay there for the inaugural week in the winter.
This book was written with Ms. Binchy’s usual style and grace. The story is a bit of a typical one for the author, as she had been known to do lovely things with words and to write about people going through hard times and seeing hope at the end of the tunnel.
The varieties of people who will be making up the visitors to the Inn are eclectic indeed and entirely entertaining. With each story being different yet part of a whole, the reader will never get bored or overly annoyed with a character they did not like. And there is at least one character that everyone will not like! With every page turn in this book, there is something new and fresh to look forward to.
Those who enjoy reading about Ireland will whole-heartedly love Ms. Maeve Binchy. Those who enjoy interesting and unusual characters and exceptional storytelling will have to look far and wide to find any other author of this caliber.
This book was written with Ms. Binchy’s usual style and grace. The story is a bit of a typical one for the author, as she had been known to do lovely things with words and to write about people going through hard times and seeing hope at the end of the tunnel.
The varieties of people who will be making up the visitors to the Inn are eclectic indeed and entirely entertaining. With each story being different yet part of a whole, the reader will never get bored or overly annoyed with a character they did not like. And there is at least one character that everyone will not like! With every page turn in this book, there is something new and fresh to look forward to.
Those who enjoy reading about Ireland will whole-heartedly love Ms. Maeve Binchy. Those who enjoy interesting and unusual characters and exceptional storytelling will have to look far and wide to find any other author of this caliber.
October 17, 2015
Easy and comforting reading - it's not the best Binchy book as some of the stories are a little rushed but still very enjoyable.
September 17, 2014
My sister-in-law Jane always knows best. You can just ask her! All joshing aside, Jane has been literally telling me for years that I needed to read Maeve Binchy. She couldn’t believe I hadn’t read one of her works already! But I always had so much to read, so I put it off. And off. And off. Until a colleague at work got me A Week in Winter.
OK, Jane. You’re right. Again.
Free spirit Geraldine “Chicky” Ryan runs away from Ireland’s backward and provincial West of Ireland with a fellow free spirit, handsome American Walter Starr, much to the consternation of Chicky’s hard-scrabble farming family and Walter’s patrician family. In New York City, Chicky and Walter live in a commune apartment, and she maintains a cordial, weekly letter-exchange with family and friends in the village of Stoneybridge.
But when restless Walter proves to be a little too free and decides to move on, Chicky needs to decide what to do. She’s determined never to return to judgmental Stoneybridge and her disapproving family. For years, she lives one life in New York and reports a more successful, exciting life to those left behind in Stoneybridge. But in the end, at middle age, Chicky returns — but not as a sorrowful penitent — but as a returning conqueror, someone who turns the crumbling Sheedy mansion, Stone House, into a one-of-a-kind seaside hotel. Assisted by Miss Queenie Sheedy, Chicky’s bright and business-savvy niece Orla, and Richard (nicknamed “Rigger”), the wayward illegitimate son of Chicky’s old friend Nuala, clever Chicky transforms not just broken-down Stone House but the broken spirits who pass through. Despite the bracing wind (read: “freezing blasts of air”) in the west of Ireland, Binchy made me long to spend a week in such a restorative home under the guidance of the generous Chicky Starr. And for a sun worshipper like me, someone who develops gooseflesh at the grocery store in August, that’s really saying something.
Those lucky enough to read the audio version will find that reader Rosalyn Landor a right treat, as the Irish say.
And, Jane, I hope all is forgiven. A Week in Winter won’t be my last Maeve Binchy. You were right — as usual.
OK, Jane. You’re right. Again.
Free spirit Geraldine “Chicky” Ryan runs away from Ireland’s backward and provincial West of Ireland with a fellow free spirit, handsome American Walter Starr, much to the consternation of Chicky’s hard-scrabble farming family and Walter’s patrician family. In New York City, Chicky and Walter live in a commune apartment, and she maintains a cordial, weekly letter-exchange with family and friends in the village of Stoneybridge.
But when restless Walter proves to be a little too free and decides to move on, Chicky needs to decide what to do. She’s determined never to return to judgmental Stoneybridge and her disapproving family. For years, she lives one life in New York and reports a more successful, exciting life to those left behind in Stoneybridge. But in the end, at middle age, Chicky returns — but not as a sorrowful penitent — but as a returning conqueror, someone who turns the crumbling Sheedy mansion, Stone House, into a one-of-a-kind seaside hotel. Assisted by Miss Queenie Sheedy, Chicky’s bright and business-savvy niece Orla, and Richard (nicknamed “Rigger”), the wayward illegitimate son of Chicky’s old friend Nuala, clever Chicky transforms not just broken-down Stone House but the broken spirits who pass through. Despite the bracing wind (read: “freezing blasts of air”) in the west of Ireland, Binchy made me long to spend a week in such a restorative home under the guidance of the generous Chicky Starr. And for a sun worshipper like me, someone who develops gooseflesh at the grocery store in August, that’s really saying something.
Those lucky enough to read the audio version will find that reader Rosalyn Landor a right treat, as the Irish say.
And, Jane, I hope all is forgiven. A Week in Winter won’t be my last Maeve Binchy. You were right — as usual.
December 2, 2013
Notification from Goodreads that this book was published landed in my email box November 3, 2012. I didn't realize that Binchy had a book remaining to be published when she died in August, but it's very possible since the time from author completion to publication can be lengthy. What was more interesting to me is that the person who wrote the synopsis of the book for Goodreads did not include the fact that this book is being published posthumously.
Update 11/7/2013
When the book became available in ebook format from my local library, I placed a hold on it. Needless to say, the wait was long. Maeve Binchy has (had? no, has) many fans.
The story was sweet and kind, Maeve Binchy style. It was about a magical place where one could go and find solutions to life's problems. It was told only as Maeve Binchy could tell a story, in such a way that I was glad I didn't miss this last of her stories. And it confirmed something in me that I suspected was true. I will miss her style, her sweetness, her direct faith that we can enrich each other's lives simply by listening and loving. Maeve Binchy is something of that magical place, herself.
Update 11/7/2013
When the book became available in ebook format from my local library, I placed a hold on it. Needless to say, the wait was long. Maeve Binchy has (had? no, has) many fans.
The story was sweet and kind, Maeve Binchy style. It was about a magical place where one could go and find solutions to life's problems. It was told only as Maeve Binchy could tell a story, in such a way that I was glad I didn't miss this last of her stories. And it confirmed something in me that I suspected was true. I will miss her style, her sweetness, her direct faith that we can enrich each other's lives simply by listening and loving. Maeve Binchy is something of that magical place, herself.
March 7, 2021
Reality often seems skewed a bit negatively a few points past neutral. Life is filled with instances where the boy does not not get the girl; where the war is won but at a terrible cost; where children are not the idyllic offspring of their parents. However, because this skew is only slight, it doesn’t take much to arrive at periods of time where the skew points towards the slightly positive.
A Week in Winter captures such a time. While the characters all have their negative moments, kindness and understanding are present in enough abundance to save the day. The book stretches outward in its place and time to tell the stories of its characters. However, at the end of each story, Maeve Binchy returns her readers to the warm caring embrace of the stone house overlooking the sea.
A Week in Winter captures such a time. While the characters all have their negative moments, kindness and understanding are present in enough abundance to save the day. The book stretches outward in its place and time to tell the stories of its characters. However, at the end of each story, Maeve Binchy returns her readers to the warm caring embrace of the stone house overlooking the sea.
February 23, 2016
A Week in Winter was the last book written by Maeve Binchy before her death. Knowing that it was the last Maeve Binchy book made me a little melancholy before I even started reading, and a book set on the rocky and stormy Atlantic coast of Ireland will have plenty of melancholy already! I love books set in Ireland, and while this one offered no surprises to fans of Maeve Binchy, it transported me to Stone House, an inn opened by Chicky Starr with the help of Riggy (a troubled young man who needs to find his way) and Orla (Chicky’s niece trying to find her place). Separate chapters focus on each of these characters as well as an American actor who ends up there on a whim, a couple of doctors that are trying to recover from the tragedies they’ve witnessed, a psychic librarian, a cantankerous school principal, a Swede torn between family duty and his love of music, a young girl and her not-happy future mother-in-law, and a prize-winning couple. Each has a different story and separate reasons for being at Stone House, where they will hopefully (mostly) find hope and a way forward in their lives.
Unfortunately, Maeve Binchy did not get a chance to finish editing the book before her death, and in places, it shows. There are several awkward transitions, some characters that are not as well-developed as in her previous works, and some storylines that seem to be left unfinished. However, it is still Maeve Binchy, comforting and thoughtful storytelling.
Check out my blog at www.watchingthewords.com
Unfortunately, Maeve Binchy did not get a chance to finish editing the book before her death, and in places, it shows. There are several awkward transitions, some characters that are not as well-developed as in her previous works, and some storylines that seem to be left unfinished. However, it is still Maeve Binchy, comforting and thoughtful storytelling.
Check out my blog at www.watchingthewords.com
February 24, 2013
I was a little afraid to read this book because sometimes the last book before an author's death can be a little sad, a little unfinished, a little lacking. That is not the case in this book. It's like Binchey waved a magic wand and sprinkled a writer's fairy dust on it while she wrote. I thought her last few ones had been a little weak but this one makes up for those. Binchey likes to intertwine characters from other novels into the new ones but this one is relatively sparse of connections. The characters eat at Quinns and there is some mention of the heart clinic but this is, basically, a clean slate of people to meet and enjoy.
Chicky Starr returns to Western Ireland after a 20 year stay in New York. She buys an old neighbor manor house and restores it to its original elegance and converts it into a holiday place for those whose spirits need rejuvenating. She adds a small group of helpers whose lives are changed in the renovation. The old spinster who owned the house is swept along and enjoys the time of her life. A young boy headed for delinquency has his life changed. When the guests arrive for the opening, they too have problems that need resolution. And in the peace and quiet of Stone House, find the resolution they need. As the waves crash on the shore, people reevaluate their lives and allow a little pixie dust to create small miracles.
Binchey's stories were my introduction to Ireland. I always wanted to find these little towns where people loved their land and were so welcoming. These towns had people who were so interesting that you felt like you could walk into their houses, sit down and have a conversation. They were so real. It was Binchey's genius that she made the setting and the people so realistic that you felt like you could reach out and touch them.
If you liked Binchey's writing, you will like this book. It is a fitting finale for a woman who has brought so much reading pleasure to me. I will miss her.
Chicky Starr returns to Western Ireland after a 20 year stay in New York. She buys an old neighbor manor house and restores it to its original elegance and converts it into a holiday place for those whose spirits need rejuvenating. She adds a small group of helpers whose lives are changed in the renovation. The old spinster who owned the house is swept along and enjoys the time of her life. A young boy headed for delinquency has his life changed. When the guests arrive for the opening, they too have problems that need resolution. And in the peace and quiet of Stone House, find the resolution they need. As the waves crash on the shore, people reevaluate their lives and allow a little pixie dust to create small miracles.
Binchey's stories were my introduction to Ireland. I always wanted to find these little towns where people loved their land and were so welcoming. These towns had people who were so interesting that you felt like you could walk into their houses, sit down and have a conversation. They were so real. It was Binchey's genius that she made the setting and the people so realistic that you felt like you could reach out and touch them.
If you liked Binchey's writing, you will like this book. It is a fitting finale for a woman who has brought so much reading pleasure to me. I will miss her.
November 17, 2015
We all have those weeks. The washing machine breaks. A tooth breaks. A heart breaks. And you just don't feel like picking up your current book because it's just a bit too dark. You need a bubble-bath of a book. And Maeve Binchy turns up with her latest, "A Week in Winter." We have our familiar friends: the smart and lovely and lonely woman who finds a man who seems too good to be true; the troubled young man who just needs an understanding ear and some good solid work to do; the old crank who just yearns to be disappointed in everyone and everything; the hurting couple who need some healing and holding of each other. You know and love them all. These folks -- and other familiar friends -- gather for a week in winter at a lovely inn on the west coast of Ireland. We learn the backstory for each person, some of which are intertwined. And we can hope for the best for all, even the old crank. You can count on Maeve Binchy in the same way you can count on hot water coming out of the tap to fill your bubble bath, provided it's not your hot water heater that's broken. Sadly, "A Week in Winter" is not only Maeve's latest, it's her last. RIP, Maeve.
December 18, 2020
Geraldine, known to all since childhood as Chicky, returns to Stoneybridge with plans to turn what is known Stone House, or otherwise the old Sheedy place after the family that lived there, into a hotel. After her years in America living a life different to what all her family knew, Chcky is ready for a new challenge. Chicky plans the opening and a special week event in winter. The story then centres on each of the guests who come during that week and their stories. So the reader gets to know a lot of characters, their joys, frustrations, loves and sorrows. Sadly it often felt just as I was getting to know a character and their story in depth was whisked off to meet another one. In that sense this book read like a number of short stories. Since I’m not a fan of short stories the book didn’t quite appeal as much as expected.
This is first Maeve Binchy book I have read in years and I definitely chose it looking for a feel god chick lit read. This is that although there are a couple of individuals that come to the hotel who are sad and miserable people. While I quite enjoyed the book, it didn’t allow for a in depth character study and so didn’t capture me in the way a good novel usually does. However it was a pleasant enough read and told with warmth and charm I am sure a lot of people will enjoy it, if they have not already. It was published in 2012
This is first Maeve Binchy book I have read in years and I definitely chose it looking for a feel god chick lit read. This is that although there are a couple of individuals that come to the hotel who are sad and miserable people. While I quite enjoyed the book, it didn’t allow for a in depth character study and so didn’t capture me in the way a good novel usually does. However it was a pleasant enough read and told with warmth and charm I am sure a lot of people will enjoy it, if they have not already. It was published in 2012
January 15, 2013
I bought this book as soon as it came out but put off reading it since I knew it would be her last. Someone put on here that they didn't enjoy it as it just seemed like short stories. I am not a fan of short stories normally and this book does have a little of that feel but in each segment the other characters are all woven in. Each chapter focuses on a certain guest, giving a "history" of sorts and how they ended up at stone house but as the chapter progresses, the other guests are brought in. I did think though that at some point chicky's secret about Walter would be revealed, although I am glad it wasn't. I have always wanted to go to Ireland, and stone house sounded like a place I would love to get away to. I did really enjoy this last book of hers, not as much as some of her earlier works like Tara road (which started me reading her books) and circle of friends and others that I found amazing. As I enjoyed it though I read with some sadness and wanting the book not to end as I knew there'd be no more.
February 9, 2015
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy is another superb story telling by Maeve Binchy. She loves her Ireland and everyone who reads her books gets the longing to visit that beautiful country. She introduces the characters through the chapters, starting with Chicky. Chicky becomes the proprietor of Stone House in Stoneybridge. She bought it with a life tenant clause for Ms. Queenie Sheedy, the remaining matriarch of Stoney House. They take in a white kitten named Gloria. Next comes her niece Orla, a more than capable business woman, and Rigger with Carmel - Rigger is Nuatha's son. He was in reform school. His uncle asked Chicky to take a chance with him. Rigger and Carmel had twins a boy and a girl named Rosie and Macken. Rigger is straightening out. Each of the guest had a story too. wonderful reading.
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