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Published in USA
Mar 2011
400 pages
Genre: Novels
Publication Information
Maeve Binchy is back with a tale of joy, heartbreak and hope, about a motherless girl collectively raised by a close-knit Dublin community.
When Noel learns that his terminally ill former flame is pregnant with his child, he agrees to take guardianship of the baby girl once she's born. But as a single father battling demons of his own, Noel can't do it alone.
Fortunately, he has a competent, caring network of friends, family and neighbors: Lisa, his unlucky-in-love classmate, who moves in with him to help him care for little Frankie around the clock; his American cousin, Emily, always there with a pep talk; the newly retired Dr. Hat, with more time on his hands than he knows what to do with; Dr. Declan and Fiona and their baby son, Frankie’s first friend; and many eager babysitters, including old friends Signora and Aidan and Frankie’s doting grandparents, Josie and Charles.
But not everyone is pleased with the unconventional arrangement, especially a nosy social worker, Moira, who is convinced that Frankie would be better off in a foster home. Now it’s up to Noel to persuade her that everyone in town has something special to offer when it comes to minding Frankie.
"Binchy straddles improbable and possible in her touching saga, and if your mind can't quite wrap itself around St. Jarlath's Crescent, your heart will have no trouble recognizing the landscape." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers will need a box of tissues handy as the good-hearted residents of St. Jarlath’s Crescent prove that it does indeed take a village to raise a child." - Booklist
"The brief appearances of so many characters from previous works might be annoying, but the stories of [specific characters]...make this novel fresh and appealing. An enjoyable novel about life, love, and second chances." - Library Journal
"As usual, Binchy's supporting characters steal the show...Binchy remains the queen of spiritual comfort, but this time round she's stretched interest thin with ups and downs too many and too mild." - Kirkus Review
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
maevebinchy.com
Maeve Binchy was born in a small village outside Dublin. She spent her
childhood in Dalkey, an experience she draws on today when creating the
rural villages usually at the heart of her novels. After receiving her B.A.
from University College in Dublin, she began working as a teacher. The
experiences she had while teaching at a Jewish school and on vacation in
Israel compelled her to find work on a kibbutz. While abroad in Israel, she
wrote weekly letters to her father describing life in a country constantly
on the brink of war. When Binchy's father sent one of her letters to The
Irish Times where it was published and earned her £18, Binchy, who had been
making £16 working at the school, thought that she had truly
"arrived."
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