Firefly Summer (Paperback)

by Maeve Binchy (Author) "The sun came in at a slant and hit all the rings and marks on the bar counter..." (more)
Key Phrases: Patrick O'Neill, Jack Coyne, Kate Ryan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Binchy's latest novel (after Light a Penny Candle ) is set in the tiny Irish backwater of Mountfern, home to a handful of families and typical of hundreds of similar hamlets in the British Isles where life is lived to the rhythm of the seasons. Mountfern is the ancestral home of Patrick O'Neill, a rough, rich American whose wealth comes from bars and restaurants, and whose dream is to build a grand hotel in Mountfern. The consequences of Patrick's arrival there early in the '60s are often hilarious: the local aristocracyespecially the widows and spinstersvies for his attentions, while the villagers are beguiled by his largesse and by thoughts of the prosperity the hotel will bring. But tragedy strikes when a bulldozer working on the hotel site crushes Kate Ryan's spine; her adaptation to life in a wheelchair is brave and touching. Kate (Binchy's most splendid character) and her husband own a pub that is bound to suffer when the hotel opens. Other charactersall memorably portrayedcome to be resentful of the "Yank's" money while they reveal their own cupidity. Patrick's joy at his homecoming is slowly eroded, and his teenage son Kerry breaks hearts, including his father's. Binchy's lyrical prose has a lilt and musicality that makes it a joy to read. With a strong narrative drive that never flags, the story engages all the reader's emotions.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
When American millionaire Patrick O'Neill returns to his ancestral home in Ireland, his intent is to bring prosperity to Montfern in the form of a luxury hotel built from the ruins of an old estate. Instead, the villagers see their lifestyles irrevocably changed and the town's inner harmonies disrupted in the four years it takes to build O'Neill's hotel. Binchy ( Light a Penny Candle , LJ 2/15/83) offers vital, complex characters, from John and Kate Ryan, whose pub will be threatened by the new hotel, to Miss Barry, the canon's alcoholic housekeeper. These people live in all their quirky individualism and will remain with the reader long after the book is completed. Accolades. Andrea Caron Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, Kan.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Dell (July 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440204194
• ISBN-13: 978-0440204190
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #530,080 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Binchy's best work, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

I am a HUGE fan of Maeve Binchy. She and Rosamunde Pilcher are my two favorite authors and I have read many, if not most of their works. This was definitely not my favorite. The book was engaging enough but also a very depressing read. One tragedy after another took place and at the end I could not honestly say that I enjoyed reading it. Oh yes, I enjoyed reading the descriptives and the interactions between the people of the sleepy town of Mountfern because Binchy just has a way of drawing you in. But, although the writing was good, the content was sad and depressing. I wish more good things would have happened.

The ending was incredulous. I could not believe so many things were left hanging. It was as if after nearly 700 pages she just decided to be done after only a moment's thought. There was absolutely no closure between the characters or storylines whatsoever. There was no sigh of contentment upon reading the last page and closing the book. There was just a sigh.

Almost always I finish Binchy's books with a yearning for more, sad that the story has ended and I can no longer be apart of the lives she has written about. This was not the case with this book.

For a truly excellent read I would highly recommend Circle of Friends (I think her best work), The Glass Lake or The Copper Beech.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, sweet and powerful, February 17, 1999

By	Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have been on a Binchy marathon for the past nine months which has culminated with this novel, Firefly Summer. Let me tell you, this book was utterly fantastic. The story of Mountfern touched me from the very beginning when the kids learned their "special place", the burned remains of an old, once powerful mansion, would be rebuilt. Because of this, their entire world changed. Maeve Binchy spins a wonderful Irish yarn that takes a surprising plot twist at the end. If you liked The Glass Lake or Light a Penny Candle, this book is definitely for you. I can't stop raving about it!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Binchy has ever written, May 14, 2005

By	LRP "PhiloTheosopher" - See all my reviews

Firefly Summer IS what I wish all the other Binchy books could be. If you are looking for a fast-paced read, I promise this is NOT the book for you. However, if you are looking for a well-crafted, intimate, multiple angle look into a Binchy-type community of characters, I propose that this one should top the list.

So, if you have never read Maeve Binchy before -- do not let this be your first read. I would suggest starting with Echoes, then move on to Glass Lake, then Copper Beech, then (maybe) Light a Penny Candle, then Evening Class, then Scarlet Feather, SKIP Quintins altogether, then Circle of Friends, and cap it off with Firefly Summer. Then you will experience the true joy to be had in this story.

(Just beware, most of her books have a "zinger" at which point the story really takes off. Firefly Summer's first "zinger" doesn't happen until about page 250 or so (depending on which copy you read) -- you have to be patient, and wait for it. From there, you're thoroughly hooked. (Can't wait to read her newest one....))