Whitethorn Woods (Vintage) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A proposed highway near the Irish town of Rossmore will mean the destruction of St. Ann's Well, a shrine in Whitethorn Woods thought to deliver healing, husbands and other miracles. The shrine resides in the parish of Fr. Brian Flynn, curate of St. Augustine's. As a fracas erupts between shrine skeptics who want the highway and shrine believers who want the shrine preserved, Flynn, unsure of where he stands on the issue and questioning his place in an increasingly secular Ireland, goes to the shrine and prays that he might "hear the voices that have come to you and know who these people are." Binchy (Tara Road) goes on to deliver just that: a panoply of prosaic but richly drawn first-person characters, such as Neddy Nolan, a not-so-simple simpleton; 60-something Vera, who finds love on a singles trip meant for those much younger; and unassuming antiques magnate James, whose wife of 26 years is dying. Stories of greed, infidelity, mental illness, incest, the joys of being single, the struggles of modern career women, alcoholism, and the heartbreak of parenting span generations, simply and poignantly. Binchy takes it all in and orchestrates the whole masterfully. 400,000 announced first printing. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Nestled outside the once sleepy Irish village of Rossmore in a copse known as Whitethorn Woods is the shrine of St. Ann's Well, which attracts so many of the faithful and hopeful that the little town overflows with visitors. This prompts a controversial proposal to construct a bypass highway that would divert traffic, ironically, right through the Woods, thus destroying the source of the town's popularity. Worried that the shrine's days are numbered, villagers flock to the Well, where they plead for everything from the restoration of a faltering love affair to the recognition of an ancestor's legacy. Foregoing her trademark plot-driven narrative for a tale in which the outcome is predictable (will the shrine be saved? duh!), Binchy instead focuses her prodigious talent on a robust assemblage of characters embroiled in romantic and domestic crises. Inventively and intricately weaving a series of linked vignettes, Binchy astounds with the versatility of the supplicants' voices, from the diabolical machinations of a mother whose daughter has committed murder to the sad serenity of another whose child was kidnapped decades earlier. 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. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (January 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307278417
• ISBN-13: 978-0307278418
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different, but still the same wonderful Maeve Binchy deep down, September 18, 2006

By	Lesley West (St James, Western Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Whitethorn Woods (Paperback)

This is, as is usual for Mave Binchy, quite a delightful book. But for those of her fans who treasure her in-depth family stories, where each person in the book becomes quite well known, this may seem a little disappointing.

The heart of the book refers to an ancient well in an Irish village, that over the years has been dedicated to Saint Anne. The village which surrounds it needs a new bypass road, and there is a strong possibility that the well will be destroyed in the name of progress.

At the heart of the book is the family that owns the land, including the woods where the well is located, but as the book progresses we touch on the lives of many people who have been exposed to the town, the well and each other. Most chapters are dedicated to two people, who usually have some sort of relationship, and we are treated to their differing perspectives. Frequently, as is the case with Ms Binchy's other books, their lives are strangely intertwined with others, but at other times less so.

It is as always quite charming, and I can recommend it. If others don't give it 5 stars, it is because it is a little different from her other works, but it is worth perservering with and wonderfully enjoyable!

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Delightful!, March 15, 2007

By	Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Whitethorn Woods (Hardcover)

Have you ever sat in a coffee shop and just watched people coming and going? Have you ever wondered what their life stories are? Where they are from, what their dreams are and whether or not they're heartbroken, or delirious in love? Have you ever just wished that you could hear their stories?

Binchy has always written about life ~~ stories that are just glimpses in other people's lives, dreams and hopes. This book is no different. In fact, it is one of her better-written collection of short stories that all have a common place threaded through each of their stories. Unlike her earlier novels (which focused on just one town and a small group of people over the course of their lives), this one is full of different characters in different stages of life and in different places. There's Father Bryan, the priest who absolutely hate St. Ann's celebrations. But he performs it because his parish asks for it. St. Ann is the mother of St. Mary, the mother of Jesus. There is a well in Rossmore, in the midst of Whitethorn Woods, that St. Ann presides over and seemly grant people's fervent wishes.

There is Neddy Nolan, "not-the sharpest knife in the drawer" whose farmhouse lies in the path of the new progressive road. He's married to Clare with secrets of her own. Then there's a 16 year-old girl from the US, June, who celebrated her 16th sweet birthday in Ireland; there's Lucky, her cousin who wanted to visit US but her parents wouldn't let her; there's Lily Ryan who has been abused all these years and now her husband's in jail. She had her baby kidnapped 23 years previously, and she prays at the well every single day. There's stories of love and friendship, career decisions, misunderstandings and forgiveness. There are stories that touch the heart very deeply and other stories that make you shake your head in understanding.

Binchy is one of the very few writers that writes so poignantly about life and humanness that can be found in each of us. She takes ordinary people with ordinary problems and turn them into wonderful characters. She has a way of writing that you feel that she knows everything there is about people ~~ the good and the bad. She has a way of making you feel like you're right there having a drink with the characters or perhaps walking the path in Whitethorn Woods to visit the Shrine. Yes, the characters are all built around the debate of whether or not the Shrine should be knocked down in the name of progress ~~ but it's really a minor point in this collection of stories. You get the idea that St. Ann has answered so many prayers, even in modern Ireland that seemingly scoff at old traditions. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, traditions still rule our thoughts.

If you're a Binchy fan, you're in for a treat. The stories are wonderful and I didn't have any problems reading it ~~ they were entertaining and once again, I felt like I was coming home to a cup of hot tea and delightful conversations about people that I "know." Binchy is utterly unbeatable in this genre.

3-15-07

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Kaleidoscope of Granted Wishes , March 9, 2007

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Whitethorn Woods (Hardcover)

I think you'll like this book better than any other that Maeve Binchy has written since Tara Road because of its original exploration of deep human emotions.

Before choosing to read Whitethorn Woods, however, please realize that the book is primarily a series of short stories built around the theme of making a wish. In most cases, the stories are tied together more to one another in her version/his version fashion than to the rest of the stories in the book. The ongoing link among all of the stories is that the characters have some connection to St. Ann's Well in Whitethorn Woods, a Christian-themed site of a pagan place of worship. A portion of the short stories also intersect with the theme of whether or not a new road will lead to the demolition of the well and the woods.

In other words, this is not a novel like you are accustomed to reading by Maeve Binchy such as Tara Road, Scarlet Feather, Quentins, and Nights of Rain and Stars.

I mention that point because I know that many readers who love novels aren't nearly as fond of short stories. And those who love short stories usually don't expect to find many connections between the stories in a collection.

There is a benefit, you can read one of these stories while you are in bed and reach a natural stopping point before you nod off. But in some cases, the first story in a sequence may create an irresistible desire to read the next story to see how things turn out. So you may end up being awake for 15-20 minutes longer than you expected.

If you are still interested, let me explain more. St. Ann (if you don't already know) is the mother of the Virgin Mary, who was mother of Jesus. The well in this case has a statue of St. Ann, but the well's connection to the saint is tenuous because St. Ann never set foot anywhere near Ireland. People come to the well to make their wishes for marriage, children, cures of diseases, and success in other endeavors. Because of the ambiguity, Father Flynn is of two minds about encouraging events at the well. Canon Cassidy, his superior, is pleased at any sign of faith.

For years, people have been seeking their dearest wishes for love and happiness at the well. As the stories suggest, more often than not they found fulfillment. Ms. Binchy leaves it somewhat ambiguous as to why these successes occur. From the stories, you can draw your own conclusions: Was it taking action that provided the desired result . . . or was something more spiritual involved? If more spiritual, was it pagan or God-inspired? From a few of the stories, some will argue that this is a pagan force. You'll enjoy making up your own mind.

If the paired short stories were longer, many of them contain enough character and story juice to make a novella, as for example the stories about Neddy and Clare. Many of the characters have slim ties to one another through family connections, having gone to school with one together, or employment. The purpose seems to be to give you a sense of how Ireland has changed in the last two generations. The effect is quite subtle and well done.

The best part of the book comes in meeting some unusual, and very endearing, characters. There's Neddy, who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer mentally, but who has a heart of gold. You'll be charmed by Vera, the unmarried older woman who takes a singles vacation with a bunch of youngsters. You'll feel comfortable as Maureen (who becomes Malka) embraces another culture and gains a life-long friendship. You'll love the energy and positivism of Bar (Barbara) as she builds a weekend out of nothing. Can a taxi driver play cupid? You'll have to ask the charming Hugo. The best qualities of a good mom shine through in Pearl. Some people care about making the lives of other grand -- you'll love Poppy and Caroline for that quality.

It's not all sweetness and light. There are also some scoundrels here that you'll enjoy hissing, mostly at lusting men and grasping women. Above those stereotypes, the carefully drawn stories of Becca and Gabrielle will stay with you for a long time after you put this book down. Nasty Dr. Dermot is also a strong and original character. Helen's tale will sear you with a deep emotional brand.

If you are tempted to stop mid-way through, don't. The book gets better as more threads gently tug at one another in the last third of the work.

Ms. Binchy is very good at putting her characters into awkward situations and taking them in surprising new directions. That keeps the book fresh, interesting, and rewarding.

What's the weakness of the book? If you are like me, you'll crave a little more connection across the stories. They are flung a little too broadly for the whole collection to be totally satisfying. For example, I think a whole book about Neddy and Clare would have been more appealing. See what you think.