Maeve Binchy (28 May 1939 – 30 July 2012) was an Irish novelist, newspaper columnist and speaker. Educated at University College Dublin, she worked as a teacher, then a journalist at The Irish Times and later become a writer of novels and short stories.
Franklin Library Maeve Binchy books
Circle of Friends - signed first edition - 1990
The Copper Beach - signed first edition - 1992
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Maeve Binchy biography
Binchy was born on 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin (modern-day Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown), Ireland, the eldest child of four. Her siblings include one brother William Binchy, Regius Professor of Laws at Trinity College, Dublin, and two sisters: Renie (who predeceased Binchy) and Joan Ryan. Her uncle was the historian D. A. Binchy (1899–1989). Educated at the Holy Child Convent in Killiney and University College Dublin (where she earned a bachelor's degree in history),
Many of her novels are set in Ireland, where the name "Maeve" is very popular and dealing with the tensions between urban and rural life, the contrasts between England and Ireland, and the dramatic changes in Ireland between World War II and the present day.
Her novel Circle of Friends was made into a 1995 Hollywood movie starring Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver.
Binchy announced in 2000 that she would not be writing any more novels, but would be devoting her time to other activities, and to her English-born husband, Gordon Snell, a children's author. However, she has written three further novels since then - Quentins, Night of Rain and Stars and Whitethorn Woods.
In 1978, Binchy won a Jacob's Award for her RTÉ play, Deeply Regretted By. A second award went to the lead actor, Donall Farmer.
Her books have outsold those of other Irish writers such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, W. B. Yeats, Seamus Heaney, Edna O'Brien and Roddy Doyle. She cracked the U.S. market, featuring on The New York Times bestseller list and in Oprah's Book Club.[8] Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Stephen King in a 2000 poll for World Book Day.
Writer
Maeve Binchy is a modern day women's writer in the Jane Austen sense. Her books are generally female centric always dealing with modern day and timeless problems of Irish women in the 20th century. Marriage, divorce, abortions, affairs, and financial corruption and bankruptcy are common events that pop up in her novels. People often work in food service (a la Quentins, Scarlet Feather) or in the hotel industry (Evening Class, Light a Penny Candle.) The juxtaposition of poor and working class families versus the upper class occurs in many of her novels. The Catholic Church is a presence in her books; sometimes priests/nuns are main characters. This has lessened as the Church's influence has waned in modern Ireland.
While some novels are complete stories (Circle of Friends, Light a Penny Candle) many of her novels revolve around a cast of interrelated characters (Copper Beech, Silver Wedding, The Lilac Bus, Evening Class). Her later novels, Evening Class, Scarlet Feather, Quentins, and Tara Road, feature a continuum of recurring characters.
A brand new novel from No.1 bestselling author Maeve Binchy is coming out in Octber 2008, called Heart and Soul.
Synopsis: Clara Casey has more than enough on her plate. Her daughters Adi and Linda were no problem at all during the usually turbulent teens. Now in their twenties, Adi is always fighting for or against something: the environment or the whale or battery farming; while Linda lurches from one unsatisfactory relationship to the next. As if this wasn't enough, Clara, a senior cardiac specialist, has a new job to cope with...For Anya, meeting Clara Casey is a miracle: she had never intended to leave her beloved Poland, but after the love of her life has turned sour, her world seems rather empty. Perhaps a new job in a new country will mend her broken heart? Declan is looking forward to joining the clinic - but the six-month posting brings him much more than he expected. Then there's Father Brian Flynn, who finds his doubts about his calling are assuaged by work in his new parish. But when an acquaintance turns into a nightmare he needs help to rescue his reputation...
Maeve Binchy books in order
Light a Penny Candle (1982)
Echoes (1985)
Firefly Summer (1987)
Silver Wedding (1988)
Circle of Friends (1990)
The Copper Beech (1992)
The Glass Lake (1994)
Evening Class (1996)
Tara Road (1998)
Scarlet Feather (2000)
Quentins (2002)
Nights of Rain and Stars (2004)
Whitethorn Woods (2006)
Heart and Soul (2008)
Minding Frankie (2010)
A Week in Winter (2012)
Short story collections
Central Line (1978)
Victoria Line (1980)
Dublin 4 (1981)
London Transports (1983)
The Lilac Bus (1984)
The Story Teller: A Collection of Short Stories (1990)
Dublin People (1993)
Cross Lines (1996)
This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories (1996)
The Return Journey (1998)
Chestnut Street (2014)
A Few of the Girls (2015)
Novellas
The Builders (2002)
Star Sullivan (2006)
Full House (2012)
Non-fiction
My First Book (1970)
Aches and Pains (1999)
A Time to Dance (2006)
The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club (2008)
Maeve's Times: In Her Own Words (2015)
Plays
Deeply Regretted By... (2005)
The Half Promised Land (1980)
Other works
Finbar's Hotel (contributor)
Ladies Night at Finbar's Hotel (contributor)
Irish Girls About Town (2002) (editor with Cathy Kelly and Marian Keyes)
Source and additional information: Maeve Binchy