Customer Reviews

The Tavern on Maple Street [With Headphones]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is worth 10 stars. I love each of these books. Ms Owens does a fantastic job of building such intense, lovable characters there is no way you could put the book down until complete.

We start out with Lily and Jack who inherited the Tavern on Maple Street. However, a builder wants to come in and tear it all down to build a mall. Lily and Jack decide to go down and flames. They hire four barmaids and host a ton of Christmas parties and a craft make-n-takes. They never had children and haven't really shared each other much with others. Will they make it through and be able to save the tavern, or should they make plans to live elsewhere?

Read and find out! This is a book that will have you to the end!

I recently discovered Sharon Owens' books, based in Belfast centering on ordinary people's lives. The Tavern on Maple Street opens on the possible destruction of Beaumont's Tavern, a tiny Victorian era tavern tucked away in the heart of Belfast. Jack and Lily Beaumont have run the tavern pretty much the same as it has always been run, drinks and sandwiches. Living and working at the tavern, Lily and Jack are able to remain engrossed in each other as well as their own world, safe from the pulls of outside life. It is a haven for the regulars, and overlooked by the bright young things in search of the newest martini and available men. The city planners give the OK for developer Vincent Halloran to build a big mall, provided he buy out all the businesses on the proposed area, including Beaumont's. Jack and Lily face the end of their magic little world until Lilly decides to see what happens if the tavern moves into the modern world. Facing the pressure of neighboring businesses who sell at fantastic prices and short of finding bones in the yard, it looks as though Beaumont's is going to be sold and torn down. Lily is frantic to find a solution. She hires several barmails and introduces live music and offers craft Saturdays. Suddenly, more of Belfast is arriving at Beaumont's door.....but at what price? Jack is sure Lily has taken on more than she can handle, and secretly Lily is, too! The barmaids bring their own set of problems, Bridget is so accident prone she threatens to bring the tavern's lining quarters down around their ears. Daisy is immetrsed in her school studies and has no patience for Trudy's neurosis and allergies, real of imagined. Marie is so shy that she threatens to fade into the wall. How Jack and Lily manage to keep Beaumont's afloat as they face down Victor and keep all the new help from destroying each other and the tavern is a delightful romp. The real magic in this book is characters who each have a distinct personality and engage the reader. There were mant times in the book I wished I could just give Bridget a swift kick, i was so vexed by her behavior! The regulars rally around and the changes seem to be bringing a new life to the tavern, but is it too late? Jack and Lilly are at last offered a way to save the tavern as well as a option to move back into "real Life" by one of Bridget's accidents. Another real delight!

In Belfast Jack and Lily Beaumont fell in love from the moment they met in 1984, but were so poor she could not afford a winter coat. Both felt then and still do that a miracle occurred when he inherited Beaumont Tavern from his grandmother's brother though all their relatives dumped them out of either jealousy or opposition to their relationship. They have lived in love there for two decades while the relatively small in size when compared to most of the city's bars Beaumont Tavern remains popular amongst the locals who frequent the Victorian modeled edifice.

Now the government wants to renovate Maple Street tearing down the historical Victorian-gothic edifices and replacing them with a large mall. The couple initially refuses to sell, but the contractor Victor Halloran is a capable nice person making a more than reasonable offer that would allow the Beaumonts to retire. The government pressures the couple threatening eminent domain if they fail to agree to Halloran's kind offer. However, Jack and Lily hesitate as they have had loyal customers for two decades plus this has been their life together.

Sharon Owens third contemporary Irish fiction novel is a stunning tale in which the decisions between urban renewal vs. heritage are difficult and realistic for everyone, making for a tense deep character driven drama. Neither Victor nor Jack and Lily are bad people and they negotiate in good faith though that does not lessen the impact of to sell or not to sell for that is the question. THE TAVERN ON MAPLE STREET is an excellent modern day story that fans will marvel over the simplicity of the plot yet relating a complex societal issue.

Harriet Klausner

All of Sharon Owens' book are a delight! I believe The Tavern on Maple Street is my favorite so far. She writes with such charming warmth and humor. I know I've read a good book when I can't bear to put it down and I'm really disappointed when it ends because it's been such a satisfying read. The characters are described in such a way that I feel like I actually know them personally. I get caught up in their lives and problems and adventures, and particularly enjoy the fact that they're in Ireland. Her whimsical illustrations are added fun. If you like Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, you're in for a treat.

The Tavern on Maple Street by Sharon Owens was very charming and like her other novels, heart-warming.

I started out not enjoying the book very much. The first couple chapters were like plowing through drudgery and read quite slow. However, after those first few chapters, the plot started picking up and interesting characters were added to the mix. Like Owen's other novels, everything turned out all right in the end.

The main couple of the story, Jack and Lily Beaumont are the owners of the tavern. They have run it as a quiet place for twenty years, living above it and serving drinks and lunch to the regulars. Their world is turned upside down when the street the tavern is on is being bought up to be turned into a mega-mall. Because most everyone else will be selling out due to the exorbitant prices being offered for their property, they are faced with the decision of whether to sell or hold on to the place they love and have their neighbors hate them for it.

As a last chance to hold onto the Tavern, Lily decides to hire a few people and start having events and live music held in the pub. She thinks the added employment and patronage will hold back the building of the mall. She also redoes the tavern with warmer colors and large mirrors, and being that it is near Christmas, holiday decorations.

The four girls that she hires to help her out couldn't be less alike and from the beginning she takes on Bridget O'Malley as a boarder as well. Bridget is accident prone and breaks many of Lily's precious things and she also eats what seems to be twice her weight in food every day.

Daisy an art student is very vivacious and independent. Through a series of events she also ends up boarding at the tavern.

Trudy is a geography student and has a myriad of phobias, including lemons and buttons. She too ends up boarding at the tavern.

As it should come as no surprise, the 4th girl Marie also ends up boarding at the tavern. She is a shy girl, and much prefers being in the kitchen to working in the tavern itself.

Throughout the novel much growth is seen in all these characters. They stop caring mostly about themselves and open up to the people around them. Many love triangles often about with the girls sometimes fighting over the men and sometimes being relieved that they are no longer with the person.

In addition to the main characters, there is a side story about Liam Bradley and his wife Betsy. He is a well-known author who is working on a new book. Both characters are very superficial and the only relevance they have to the main story is that Liam frequents the tavern and also fancies himself in love with Lily. Honestly, their whole role in the story could have been left out and I feel wouldn't have been missed. It seemed more of a filler to make the book longer.

I was a bit disappointed in the ending. While a convenient plot twist left it so the tavern would not be demolished it just seemed like a sell-out to me. However, the resulting funds from the sale helps each of the characters along with achieving their true dreams and love. It also gives Lily and her husband a chance to see the world beyond the tavern.

The Tavern on Maple Street
Published 2005
321 Pages

A wonderful book for a winter day at home. As in Sharon Owens' previous books, the plot centers around an establishment and the lives of the owners, workers, and patrons. I enjoy the fact that Sharon Owens does not seem to have a set formula for her books. You can't predict the story line of "The Tavern on Maple Street" even if you have read "The Tea House on Mulberry Street" or "The Ballroom on Magnolia Street". In each book she develops her characters, their intertwined lives, and their private lives. There are connections amongst the characters and surprises as the story develops. I look forward to future stories by Sharon Owens.

I adore everything I've read by Sharon Owens. Actually, I've only listened on audio. With narration by Caroline Winterson. I love everything about her writing, and I love Caroline's voice. If anyone knows of a similar audiobook that I can listen to please let me know! I love Irish & British accents and I love heartfelt & comforting writing. :-)

The main characters a married couple the Beaumonts seem to have created their own
peaceful refuge in strife torn Belfast. While sectarian hardship hovers in the
background, it doesnt play a big role in the story. The author Sharon Owens grew
up in Northern Ireland and saw The Troubles first hand. I believe her own longing
of a peaceful happy resolution played a part in the Beaumonts and the various likeable
(and quirky) stray young ladies they take in's uncertain but ultimately joyful world.
The end wasnt 100% for me but I'm not one for spoilers, so you'll have to read and decide
that for yourself!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I even bought Sharon Owens other novels and they were all good!

IT WAS A GOOD READ BECAUSE ICOULD IDENTIFY SOME OF THE CHARACTERS WITH SOME PEOPLE I KNOW.