Customer Reviews
Mediocre at best. - By: Peter Smith, 07 Nov 2008 
In fact, to call this book 'mediocre' is probably being somewhat generous. My wife has long been a fan of this author & looks forward to reading her books. Until this one, that it. The plot makes little sense; the characters are wooden to the point of requiring a coat of varnish, & the dialogue unbelievably trite, repetitive & simplistic, apparently written for a child with the attention span of a goldfish. Quite apart from the laboured writing, there are logical inconsistencies within the plot that make the whole thing look careless, as if it was knocked together over a wet long weekend. It's frankly difficult to believe that this was written by the same person who produced such classics as 'The Lilac Bus'. Either the author has gone very dramatically off the boil, or somebody else actually wrote it. But whatever the reason, try to avoid this book.
Very Disappointing - By: CGB, London, 31 Jul 2008 I can hardly believe this book was written by the same author who gave us such absorbing stories as Circle of Friends & Light a Penny Candle. The characters & their conversations were just not crediblein this day & age. Had I read it at home, instead of on holiday, I doubt I would've finished it.
If Maeve Binchy hadn't already been a bestselling author I doubt this book would even have been published.
Favourite Maeve Binchy novel - By: hbkscotia, 03 Mar 2008 
I've read most of Maeve Binchy's books. This one is one of my favourites,in part because there's no unease halfway through the book where a couple who has been happily married suddenly grows tired of each other (which seems to happen a lotin other MB novels).
Admittedly there are no great twists or surprises (and the Shane character is woefuly one-dimensional) but the characters are well fleshed-out & easy to distunguish & as a reader I cared what happened to them.
A pleasant & easy read.
Away from Home You Still Carry Home in Your Heart - By: Ford Ka, 26 Jan 2008 Maeve Binchy did it again for me. I always take her books on holidays & I end up reading her on the beach. This time I read her instead of sightseeingin Manchester - I could not wait until the summer.
This book takes you to Greece, a small town by the sea which is suddenly wrecked by a tragedy. A group of people from various countries witness the boat go upin flames at sea from a distance. The tragic view triggers memories & new decisions - some will return home, some will try to mend severed family ties, there will be a lot of tears & some smilesin the end. After the nights of rain & stars the new day will break & nothing will be as it used to before.
Obligatory reading for anyone who likes Maeve Binchy & a perfect introduction to all those unhappy souls who have never heard of her before!
Multinational Twists on The Bridge of San Luis Rey - By: Donald Mitchell, 05 Oct 2007 
If you are looking for a classic Maeve Binchy novel about modern times & problemsin Dublin, Nights of Rain & Stars will be a disappointment. The Irish connection is there, but it's weaker than the Greek connection. I listened to the Audio CD version & found that the dramatic reading by Ms. Terry Donnelly took an average (at best) novel & made it reasonably entertaining. This is not a book you want to read. Listen to the recording instead. Trust me on that.
As the book opens a small group of travelers find themselves at a hilltop tavernain Aghia Anna, Greece run by an older man, Andreas who pines for his missing son, Adonas. As they overlook the sea, all are aghast as a tourist boat burns with grisly results. All of the tourists think, what if? They had earlier been out on that boat. The shared reaction to the tragedy causes them to cling to one another & to re-examine their lives. A powerful chain of circumstances is set off when Andreas insists that they each call their loved ones to let them know that they are safe so the news reports won't be frightening.
The diners are the beautiful, famous Elsa from Germany who is fleeing from a lover who has disappointed her; Fiona, an Irish nurse who has cast off her job to be with the man of her dreams, Shane; Shane, an Irish caricature of the unfeeling brute of a young man who is only interestedin himself & wants no responsibilities; David, a gentle young Englishman who wants to escape from running the family business; & Thomas, a divorced American professor who wants to give his young son, Bill, space to get used to his new step-father, Andy.
The characters are all quite shallow & follow trite formulasin the plot that keep them from being objective about themselves.
Ms. Binchy introduces one interesting character though, the Irishwoman Vonnie, who has livedin Aghia Anna for over 30 years & has a secret past full of despair & disappointment. Vonnie gives the other characters frequent pieces of her mind that help set them onto the right paths for each of them. The message seems to be that without a guidein our life, we will make quite a mess of our loving relations.
If you don't mind superficial characters & a mostly trite story, you'll certainly feel happy with how the characters go about improving their lives. If you also use the book to inspire yourself to think about what you need to change about your life, you will gain more benefit.
I found that Ms. Donnelly's reading made the thin characters come to life through their varying, well-produced accents & different speaking cadences. The only weaknessin her reading is that occasionally she uses her lovely Irish accent for someone who isn't Irish, such as David.
If you are like me, you'll be yearning for another Tara Road after reading this book. The trend of disappointing stories since that one continues.
