A Week in Winter

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chicky is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms. John, the American movie star, thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian are forced into taking a holiday together; Nicola and Henry, husband and wife, have been shaken by seeing too much death practicing medicine; Anders hates his father’s business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired schoolteacher, criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone’s relief; the Walls are disappointed to have won this second-prize holiday in a contest where first prize was Paris; and Freda, the librarian, is afraid of her own psychic visions.

Sharing a week with this unlikely cast of characters is pure joy, full of Maeve’s trademark warmth and humor. Once again, she embraces us with her grand storytelling.

©2013 Maeve Binchy (P)2013 Random House Audio

Maeve Binchey was such a great writer!

Maeve Binchey knew how to connect with people.....I don't think she would have put anyone off with any of her books. I really liked this book as it told individual stories and then told how they were all inter-related! And both stories were so interesting - the individual's and the entire group's! They were both poignant and sweet. Maeve even showed how there were certain hateful people, who would not allow themselves happiness. I really loved listening to this story!

nice read

I liked that it was easy read. no major plot but to get away, it was enjoyable

the characters were real.

loved the narrator. the author did a good wrap up of the story giving it a good ending but kept me wanting to hear more

hotel

what I liked was how all the characters end up at the same hotel in Ireland and its a feel good story

I love Maeve Binchy!

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

Excellent characters, tale.

Who was your favorite character and why?

sorry, don't remember

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

I like hearing different accents; her's are splendid!

If you could take any character from A Week in Winter out to dinner, who would it be and why?

sorry, don't remember.

Any additional comments?

Keep on writing, Maeve!!
and Thanks!

Maeve, I Miss You Already

What made the experience of listening to A Week in Winter the most enjoyable?

Maeve Binchy's style is a story weaver. There are glimpses of characters from prior books that make you feel you've found an old friend and you're sharing inside jokes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Week in Winter?

So many sweet moments... but when the two women vying for the highest level in one man's life find themselves in peril and finally get to know each other, it was beautiful. Not over-the-top drama, but real life emotions.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Beautiful lilt to her voice - a very pleasant performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Too many to count. All the diverse characters experiences an epiphany of some sort... some simple, some life-changing. I wish I could book a week in Winter at this rustic resort on the Irish coastline!

Any additional comments?

Reading this book was bittersweet, knowing that it is truly the final work of Ms. Binchy. She was a master story teller, with subtle lessons of tolerance and coping experienced by her characters, but never hitting anyone over the head. I'm already missing her company.

Awesome.

I really enjoyed this book. It was not what I had expected. Everyone should listen to this book and think about real life.

No one tells a better story than Maeve Binchy!

So good! The intertwined stories and the paths that led each character to where they all met was perfect. Beautiful narration!

A relaxing listen!

Well written, beautifully performed. Individually these very personal, well told stories are entertaining and relaxing to listen to. They are bound together by beautiful descriptions of Ireland’s Atlantic Coast and contemporary Irish life. You’ll want to book your own week at Stone House!

great listen

really enjoyed the good feelings that this book offered, very well read as well. good comfort listen