Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2007
352 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
When a new highway threatens to bypass the town of Rossmore and cut through Whitethorn Woods, everyone has a passionate opinion about whether the town will benefit or suffer. But young Father Flynn is most concerned with the fate of St. Ann's Well, which is set at the edge of the woods and slated for destruction. People have been coming to St. Ann's for generations to share their dreams and fears, and speak their prayers. Some believe it to be a place of true spiritual power, demanding protection; others think it's a mere magnet for superstitions, easily sacrificed.
Not knowing which faction to favor, Father Flynn listens to all those caught up in the conflict, and these are the voices we hear in the stories of Whitethorn Woods - men and women deciding between the traditions of the past and the promises of the future.
"Binchy takes it all in and orchestrates the whole masterfully." - PW.
"Binchy is at her best in this tender yet potent tale of a traditional land and people threatened and challenged by the forces of change." - Booklist.
"Her sentimental morality may be predictable, but Binchy's lilting Irish zest is undeniably addictive." - Kirkus.
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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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