Publisher Description

By the school house at Shancarrig stands a copper beech, its bark scarred with the names and dreams of the pupils who have grown up under its branches. Under Junior Assistant Mistress Maddy Ross's careful gaze the children play, but out of school Maddy's gaze lingers where it shouldn't. Maura Brennan, a bundle of fun from the rough end of town, plays with her pals: leap year baby Eddie Barton, the apple of his mother's eye, and Nessa Ryan, who little realises as she carves his name at the roots of the copper beech on the very last day of school that she'll get a lot more from one of her schoolmates than her first shy kiss.The copper beech is the gateway to Maeve Binchy's marvellous portrait of a small Irish town whose untroubled surface conceals the passions, rivalries, friendships, ambitions and jealousies beneath.

Notes

An old copper beech overlooks a school, and witnesses all the hopes and loves, dreams and ambitions of the children who grew up there...

Author Biography

Maeve Binchy (28 May 1940 - 30 July 2012) was born in Dublin and was the London Correspondent for the Irish Times. Her first novel was Light a Penny Candle and she has now sold millions of copies of her books around the world. She is survived by her husband, Gordon Snell.

Review

Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller * NEW YORK TIMES *
You want to read Maeve Binchy's books as fast as she seems to have written them. This one fairly gallops along because her apparently spontaneous and casual manner covers masterly plotting ... It is all very satisfactory * INDEPENDENT *
THE COPPER BEECH is as soothing as a cup of tea * PEOPLE *
Binchy makes you laugh, cry, and care. Her warmth and sympathy render the daily struggles of ordinary people heroic and turn storytelling into art * SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE *
Maeve Binchy's marvellous portrait of a small Irish town whose untroubled surface conceals the passions, rivalries, friendships, ambitions and jealousies beneath * LOVE READING *
Binchy is a consummate storyteller who involves the reader in the world she creates ... Binchy is a Dickens: she writes about the dilemmas of human beings with a backdrop which describes the manners and morals of a society ... the Binchy public will not be disappointed at story line or resolution * IRISH TIMES *
Binchy ... is a class act * DAILY EXPRESS *
Maeve Binchy's novels are just the kind of comforting companions so many women can't wait to take to bed. ...Binchy's prose flows as naturally as conversation with a good friend * THE LADY *
Maeve Binchy's work continues to inspire ... thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure * WOMAN *
This is Binchy at her very best, telling stories with charm, humour and pathos and giving us one of the most stunning feel-good endings I can remember * MAIL ON SUNDAY *

Promotional

Reissued in the stunning new cover design alongside her latest novel NIGHTS OF RAIN AND STARS - new in paperback. All the backlist are being reissued simultaneously in the new livery. Maeve Binchy is one of today's most successful and best-loved authors, read all over the world and translated into 30 languages. Her last seven novels have all been Sunday Times No.1 bestsellers and the last four were Guardian fastsellers. There are now over 6.5 million copies of Maeve Binchy Orion paperbacks in print and she always receives terrific reviews: 'Reading Maeve Binchy has always acted as therapy of a sort. Her witty, literate small-town tales exude a rosy glow to ease the troubled mind' The Times. 'Warm, witty and with a deep understanding of what makes us tick, it's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters' OK Magazine. 'Proves how wise and funny Maeve Binchy is - and how adept at keeping a reader bolt upright till five in the morning' Irish Times. 'Compulsive reading ... Ms Binchy has the true story-teller's knack' Observer. In the top 100 bestselling Irish titles Maeve Binchy occupies seven of the top twenty places including the number one slot.

Long Description

By the school house at Shancarrig stands a copper beech, its bark scarred with the names and dreams of the pupils who have grown up under its branches. Under Junior Assistant Mistress Maddy Ross's careful gaze the children play, but out of school Maddy's gaze lingers where it shouldn't. Maura Brennan, a bundle of fun from the rough end of town, plays with her pals: leap year baby Eddie Barton, the apple of his mother's eye, and Nessa Ryan, who little realises as she carves his name at the roots of the copper beech on the very last day of school that she'll get a lot more from one of her schoolmates than her first shy kiss.The copper beech is the gateway to Maeve Binchy's marvellous portrait of a small Irish town whose untroubled surface conceals the passions, rivalries, friendships, ambitions and jealousies beneath.

Review Quote

'Her storytelling ability is second to none'-- SUNDAY EXPRESS

Promotional "Headline"

An old copper beech overlooks a school, and witnesses all the hopes and loves, dreams and ambitions of the children who grew up there... Wonderful, nostalgic fiction from the No.1 bestselling author.

Description for Sales People

Maeve Binchy is one of the world's best-loved and most successful authors.

Details