A Week in Winter

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Caroline Lennon

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The Sheedy sisters had lived in Stone House for as long as anyone could remember. Set high on the cliffs on the west coast of Ireland, overlooking the windswept Atlantic ocean, it was falling into disrepair - until one woman, with a past she needed to forget, breathed new life into the place. Now a hotel, with a big, warm kitchen and log fires, it provides a welcome few can resist.

Winnie is generally able to make the best of things until she finds herself on the holiday from hell. John arrived on an impulse after he missed a flight at Shannon. And then there's Henry and Nicola, burdened with a terrible secret, who are hoping the break at Stone House will help them find a way to face the future....

©2012 Maeve Binchy (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd

I love Maeve Binchy

Once again, I've said it a million times, I felt like I was sitting at the table enjoying a cup of tea as a tale was spun about regular everyday people around me. Caroline Lennon is one of my all time favourite narrators so that is a bonus. The only reason my story review got 4 stars was because all of the characters in the novel experienced consequences for actions and dealt with the aftermath except the main character. I felt robbed that her story didn't come to light. It made it tough for me to respect her as a person - her secret was a giant one but yet she was quite content to deceive. Maybe it is just me and my belief that people are inherently honest. I couldn't deal with the guilt if it were me.

Great listen.

A warm, loving, positive novel

Maeve Binchy was a much loved Irish writer and A Week in Winter is her last novel. I really enjoyed it. I felt it was a testament to a life well lived because she created a warm, loving, positive book.

It's about people experiencing positive changes in their lives -- either through their own decisions, or just through a chain of events. What these people have in common is that they end up at a guest house in a peaceful, beautiful part of rural Ireland -- the establishment of the house itself being a creative optimistic series of decisions
.
It's about caring, loving, dealing with life events that hold us back.

Am I making it sound like a personal development book! It's far from that. But it does leave the reader with a sense of hope and valuing life options.

I get the feeling that Binchy delighted in creating this little world, so far away from the cares of urban living, and drawing people into it and allowing most of them to leave more content and in touch with themselves.

It was sympathetically read by Caroline Lennon.

Another good book for Maeve Binchy enthusiasts.

If you could sum up A Week in Winter in three words, what would they be?

Warm, Fuzzy, Irish

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Satisfaction!

What does Caroline Lennon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love her voice...this is one of the reasons I listened to this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No...it is the perfect book to listen to over a period of time as each chapter is from the perspective of a different character.

Any additional comments?

Such a loss when Maeve Binchy died...she did write lovely books.