• Light a Penny Candle

  • By: Maeve Binchy
  • Narrated by: Kate Binchy
  • Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (103 ratings)

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Light a Penny Candle  By  cover art

Light a Penny Candle

By: Maeve Binchy
Narrated by: Kate Binchy
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Publisher's summary

Evacuated from Blitz-battered London, shy and genteel Elizabeth White is sent to stay with the boisterous O'Connors in Kilgarret, Ireland. It is the beginning of an unshakeable bond between Elizabeth and Aisling O'Connor, a friendship which will endure through 20 turbulent years of change and chaos, joy and sorrow, soaring dreams and searing betrayals... Writing with warmth, wit and great compassion, Maeve Binchy tells a magnificent story of the lives and loves of two women, bound together in a friendship that nothing could tear asunder - not even the man who threatened to come between them forever.

©1982 Maeve Binchy (P)1994 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“An Irish Thorn Birds...complete and rewarding.” (Newsday)

What listeners say about Light a Penny Candle

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Abridged

Disappointed it was abridged. Would not have purchased if I had known it was abridged.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Adaptation, poor sound quality

A good, sweet adaption of a wonderful book. It's read by the author's daughter, mean the Irish names and words are all correct. However, the sound quality of the recording is somewhat lacking. It sounds like it was recorded from a tape.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

too abridged!

would have enjoyed more if not abridged. characters not developed enough if one has not previously read the book...

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Maeve

It's not my favorite Maeve Binchy novel; however, it is still excels in storytelling as only she could do. Light a Penny Candle keeps readers enthralled with perfect characterization and unexpected plot lines. It is a bit cynical and ends much darker than typical Binchy novels, but it entertains as only Maeve Binchy can do.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Abridgment Ruins It

As someone said previously, I didn’t know it was abridged and I spent a whole credit on it. It also was not as good as Maeve Bunche usually is. Won’t read any more like this!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately it is an abridged version

Unfortunately this is not the full novel. It is abridged and the ending is different. The story isn't really changed, but the sense of where things are is different. It did teach me to pay attention to if a book is abridged or not.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

very disappointing

Maeve Binchy has always been one of my favorite authors. I have read all her books, and loved them. I thought it would be nice to listen to this one. The Narrator, Kate Binchy, is excellent. However, this Abridged version doesn't do Maeve's story justice. It was very disappointing. I urge you to read Maeve's books , and you'll relish the characters and full stories.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Upsetting

I am extremely disappointed with this abridged version. First of all, I am angry that it wasn't clear when I used my monthly credit about this book being abridged. Secondly, the download kept failing and it was impossible to get back to the place I'd been when the fail occurred. This book is my #1 favorite book from about 40 years ago and I was so excited to be able to hear it, now at age 71.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good but lots of death

I disliked the amount of death but there were interesting twists that made the story enjoyable. I would recommend this book to people who have lost their faith in finding good men to love.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

the story is not bad. the reader is very good!

I felt like the story was a bit light and directionless. maybe I was comparing it too much to "Circle of Friends " which is full and robust novel. but I think I would have been more satisfied if the ending was more complete, instead of this abrupt attempt at cleverness.

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