I woke up Thursday morning only to be greeted by an unexpected head cold and a winter wonderland outside. Neither of these things pleased me, head colds and snow both being messy and uncomfortable. Thank goodness I was in the middle of reading Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy, since these are the kinds of circumstances for which her books are best suited.
Published in 1987, Firefly Summer follows the residents of the small village of Mountfern over several years during the 1960s. Patrick O’Neill, a rich American with family roots in Mountfern, arrives with plans to buy the old estate that has been in ruins since the 1920s and build in its place a huge hotel. After years of seeing their children and sibling emigrate overseas, the promise of jobs and of more customers for existing business thanks to the tourist trade causes all sorts of excitement in the village. Even people like the Ryan family, who run the pub closest to the estate and stand to lose business when the hotel opens, can’t help but be excited about the changes, though they are concerned for their own future. But the consequences of Patrick O’Neill’s hotel project turn out to be far more devastating than anyone could have dreamed and the lives of many of those in the once sleepy town where nothing ever changed are upset forever.
This isn’t Maeve Binchy’s finest book but it is still a great read and it was perfect for my cold-fuzzed brain. While the O’Neills and the Ryans are the focus of the story – both the adults and their closely-entwined teenage children – the other villagers and a few outside characters are also wonderfully described and fleshed out, no matter how minor their role, from the tramp who merely passes through to the hairdresser who moonlights as a prostitute. Binchy does a particularly excellent job with Patrick O’Neill. So proud of his Irish heritage, he is determined to make his home in Mountfern though it is obvious to everyone there that he quintessentially American. The combination of awe and contempt that greets him is perfectly done, with some villagers impressed by his confidence and wealth while others resent it heartily. He is a good man, though not an easy one to get along with, and as he faces problem after problem, with both the project and his difficult son, it is impossible not to warm to him.
It is this balance of attractive and unattractive qualities in her characters that makes Binchy’s book so interesting to me. Very rarely does she have anyone who is entirely perfect or entirely evil – the main weakness of this book is the almost cartoon-like villainy of Patrick’s son Kerry. Usually, characters are a complex meld of good and bad traits. Kate Ryan, whose husband runs one of the village’s pubs, is bright and warm and clever but can also be short-tempered and shrewish with the soft-spoken husband she adores. Rachel Fine is a thoughtful, generous, sympathetic divorcee from New York but she is also O’Neill’s mistress and has been part of his life since before his wife’s death. Binchy does not pass judgements on her characters and we get to see all the sides of them.
Firefly Summer may not be the best example of Binchy’s powers – it is far too long and the ending felt rushed and overly dramatic – but it is still an enjoyable book and a great example of her excellent characterization. She also manages to deal with real tragedies in a very truthful way, marking their significance and impact on the characters without exaggerating the consequences in a melodramatic manner. This is light fiction, certainly, but of the best and most intelligent kind.
I really enjoy her books, though I haven’t read the two last ones yet. She is so good at creating strong, believable characters – with that mix of good and bad, or strong and weak in some cases – and in her settings, particularly those small towns. I think Circle of Friends is my favorite, though I also like The Glass Lake and Echoes.
I hope your cold is better!
I’ve never actually read a Maeve Binchy book, though I have a very good selection of her titles in the house; my mom likes her and I buy them for that reason. Not quite sure why I’ve never dipped into them. Too big & “best-seller-ish”, maybe? (Silly reason, I know.) I’ve seen so many good reviews lately that I think I must brave up & give her a go.
Is there any particular one which stands out as a good place to start? I do have Circle of Friends here, which I see Lisa recommends.
Hope you’re feeling better soon, Claire. Looks like we’re in for some more messy weather; hopefully you can stay home with a good book (or 2 or 3!) and a box of kleenex and get through the worst of it (the head cold and the messy coastal snow) in relative comfort.
Some wicked viruses making their rounds already this year! On the silver lining side, maybe this will mean the old immune system will be toughened up to resist whatever January & February chuck your way. 🙂 One can hope!
I adore Maeve Binchy’s writing and was so saddened at her passing earlier this year. She is my go to author when looking for an audio book for the long rides I frequently take to MN. I think what I like about her books are her characters, Claire, just as you describe here. I usually feel I know some of them.
Feel better soon.
I don’t think I’ve read this one, and while I very much like her older books, I haven’t found her later ones (I think starting with Tara Road) to be up to the earlier ones. I’ll definitely give this one a try.
I haven’t read this one so thanks for the review and update.