I was still not ready to end the stories of Elizabeth and Aisling. But, the ending Binchy eventually came up with was abrupt in the extreme. The nature of the story does not really encourage a clear-cut ending. Then, I think she started struggling with a logical point at which to end the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book till about 3/4ths of the way in. She also has a real knack for writing nice characters, everyday types of people without making them boring. I also think this book works really well because Binchy is more comfortable with the era and the people of that time than when she is writing some of her more “modern” novels. It’s precisely because it is that kind of book – a little winding and sweet but make no mistake, it’s not even a bit boring. I haven’t given you much of a story synopsis here. However, throughout their ups and downs, they are always there for each other laughing each other’s troubles away. The book starts during World War 2, and explains how the girls meet as children, how they grow up, drift apart, and yet end up leading strangely parallel lives. It’s the story of two girls, Aisling and Elizabeth, and their friendship from their childhood up to their thirties. This one is different and I am happy to say that I really, really enjoyed it. I have been quite scathing about them in my reviews here and here. The last few books by Binchy that I have read have been a mixed bag – easy reading, but nothing more than that.
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