Chestnut Street

Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy

Author Maeve Binchy had a gift; the gift of observation. She watched and listened to everyday people with ordinary worries and troubles, then eloquently wrote about what she saw and heard. The end result is a collection of stories filled with joy and triumphs, sorrow and regrets, and ultimately a life lesson to be learned at the end of each chapter. This book is a treasure chest brimming with her astute reflections on human nature. It's not really a novel, rather a book of musings and contemplation.

You meet so many complex characters, each full of flaws and imperfections, always searching for a happy ending to their tangled lives. These neighbors all live in Dublin, Ireland on a quiet fictional road known as Chestnut Street. There's sixteen-year-old Dolly, plain and nondescript, envious of her own mother's enchanting beauty until she realizes that perception is not always reality. Friends Wendy and Rita dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs until they realize how foolish it is to put misplaced faith in those they trust. They begin the WR (Wronging a Right) Club. Let's see who looks foolish now. Bucket Maguire washes windows, a perfectly respectable way to make a living except when you are the object of ridicule from judgmental people, including his unsettled disrespectful son, Eddie. Yet it's Bucket's supportive and unwavering presence that saves Eddie in his darkest hour. Then there's Nan, raising three children on her own, working endless hours to carve out a meager existence when the doctors say she has a weak heart.  So odd, she thinks, because her "heart must be very strong indeed"  to endure a husband walking out on her. Nan surprisingly finds a most unlikely suitor who finds that she has a remarkable heart after all. There are thirty-six chapters of individual stories just like these told with insight, humor, and a delightful easy-going pace.

Much like her popular A Week in Winter (posted on my blog in May of 2013), Maeve Binchy proves once again that she was a talented storyteller. Upon her death in July of 2012, publishers were able to gather her many years of observations and release a final book for her devoted fans. She had an uncanny ability to create a series of memorable anecdotes representing life with all its ups and downs.

Have a cup of tea, relax and enjoy the entertaining residents who call Chestnut Street home.