Chestnut StreetChestnut Street by Maeve Binchy

Reviewed by: Diane Soffietti, Adult Services

Genre: Contemporary women’s relationship fiction, short stories, Irish culture at the end of the 20th century to current times

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: As always with a Binchy book, there are a multitude of characters of different ages. Each chapter deals with their lives behind the closed doors of their homes on Chestnut Street. Different situations and problems are handled with different life skills or lack of skills.

My review: I like all of the Binchy books. Her style of short chapters that concern one of the characters is similar to short stories. Usually the cast of characters come together in the end to a happy conclusion. These books give me an idea of what life is like in Ireland. I was saddened when I learned that Maeve Binchy died last summer, and I was glad that there was another book of hers to savor. If you like learning about another culture in a short story format, please try Chestnut Street or one of Maeve Binchy’s earlier books. Some of her titles do concern the same characters or family members from previous books, but it is not necessary to read them in order to enjoy reading them.

Although the book deals with marital affairs and unwed mothers, it does not contain strong language or graphic scenes.

Rating: 4/5

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FDL ReadsAbout FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!