Thursday 18 June 2009

Heart and Soul - Maeve Binchy

Heart and Soul is a novel published by Maeve Binchy in 2008. As a long-time Binchy fan, and someone who is currently going through a phase of gorging on Irish chick-lit, I was keen to check out her latest offering. There are many links with some of Binchy's more recent novels, with characters and events skillfully intertwined, including Whitehorn Woods, Nights of Rain and Stars, Evening Class, Scarlet Feather and, of course, Quentin's. It all makes for a comfortable and familiar read, yet does not necessarily require the reader to have read any of these titles before.

Set in a newly established heart clinic in Dublin, Heart and Soul starts out with a more modern feel to her previous novels. However, it's not long before the warmth of her characters is firmly established and events are portrayed from each one's perspective, starting off with Declan, who is the first typically 'old school' Binchy-style character to appear. The events which unfold are, naturally, both heartfelt and character driven in true Binchy fashion.

No spoilers from me today. Heart and Soul is simply a warm, enjoyable read.

1 comment:

Julie said...

My daughter went through a stage where she was a Binchy-holic. I don't think I have read a single one of her novels: they tend to be too thick for me to contemplate, I am embarrassed to say.