By Laura LaVelle, Wonder Shuffle Culture Editor:

There are many things you won't find in Maeve Binchy's fiction: sex, violence, ambiguity, politics, abject poverty. No one will have trouble interpreting the meaning of these texts, or unpacking the symbolism. There's no experimentation with form, nothing self-consciously literary, overly stylized, or existential here. The language is plain, the prose smooth and clear. She told stories--in fact, she was a brilliant storyteller. It's a strange comparison, but bear with me here. Despite her subject matter, setting, and genre (all utterly dissimilar from his), she reminds me a bit of Stephen King. Her characters are ordinary people. She's not asking "what if a car was possessed by an evil spirit?" or "what if an abused teenager developed telekinetic powers?" or anything of the sort. But she is asking things like, "what if a bright girl from a small town went to the capital city for college?" and "what if a dysfunctional family learned how to communicate better?" or "what if someone from a poor family married into a wealthier one?".

A Week in Winter is her final novel, published after she died in 2012. It may not be quite as polished as it would have been had she had time to edit it further, but it's well done--a hopeful story about good people finding their way.

The first storyline here is about Chicky Starr, a woman from a small town on the west coast of Ireland, who'd lived in the US for years, coming back to her hometown, purchasing an old mansion and turning it into an inn. This brings in other characters and their back stories--a niece with some business skills who helps her get started, a young man, a son of an old friend, fleeing some trouble in Dublin, and turning his life around working as a handyman there. And once the place is up and running, we meet the first guests, including two married doctors trying to figure out their next steps, an actor from the USA taking an incognito holiday and reassessing his life, a young man from Sweden torn between his family expectations and his own desires, and so forth, a chapter each.

The theme here is self-acceptance and personal growth, and although it defies all sense and logic that virtually each character in this story solves their problems in one short vacation, it's awfully satisfying to see it all happen, and fun to see them interact. Wouldn't we all love that? A week away with a group of kind strangers who become friends, warm hospitality, good food, time to think and walk on the beautiful coast, and the resolutions to mend all that ails our hearts. If Stone House were a real place and Stoneybridge a real town, I'd book myself a week, maybe two, and fly there tomorrow.

Alas, that's not possible, but I think we can learn some lessons here about how to live. Be honest (when possible--sometimes what they don't know won't hurt them). Be kind. Treat your friends well. Be polite even to those you dislike. Don't gossip. Assume good intentions. Be open to new ideas and experiences. Give everyone a chance. Don't be afraid to have the difficult conversation. Work hard. Respect everyone. As far as I can tell, Ms. Binchy lived her life like the best of her characters. She was known to be tremendously encouraging to young writers, generous to her friends, and always a delightful conversationalist. It's an excellent legacy. Here's a quote from an interview she did some years back: "I don't have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turning into confident ducks." Cheers to all of the confident ducks out there!

NOVEL: A Week in Winter

AUTHOR: Maeve Binchy

YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2012

IMAGE: book cover, Vintage

About Me

Laura LaVelle is Wonder Shuffle's Culture Editor. A fan of the great indoors, you can find her in her native NYC, her home in Connecticut, or at a concert, play, library, bookstore, or museum just about anywhere in the world.