Tara Road

Maeve Binchy has a wonderful following that keeps growing with each new book she publishes. Her warmth, humor, and narrative magic appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds. In "Tara Road," her first full-length book since "The Glass Lake," two women—one from America and the other from Ireland—swap lives and discover a great deal about themselves and each other. This story demonstrates the author's unparalleled grasp of the human heart. In Dublin, Ria shared a home on Tara Road with her charming spouse Danny and their two kids. Up until the day Danny informed her that he was leaving her to live with his young, pregnant girlfriend, she firmly thought she was blissfully married. Through a fortuitous phone conversation, Ria meets Marilyn, a New England lady who is now divorced from her husband and struggling to deal with the loss of her only kid. With remarkable results, the two ladies trade summertime residences and discover that one of them has a dark secret that will never be shared.

Drawn into worlds quite different from their own, each first takes offense at hearing of the other's success. It seems that Ria has turned into quite the entertainer, entertaining half the neighborhood, which first annoys Marilyn, who has always been quiet and private. Marilyn seems to have become close friends with both Ria's kids and the attractive restaurateur Colm, who Ria has started to miss greatly. The ladies finally get together in person at the end of the summer. They discover that they have solidified their friendship and will always be close friends after learning a great deal about one another and themselves.

"Tara Road" is a poignant tale skillfully crafted by a skilled craftsman, showcasing Maeve Binchy's greatest qualities - breathtakingly exquisite, eerily memorable, completely unique, and immensely delightful.