Light a Penny Candle
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4.4 • 266 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Beloved author Maeve Binchy's first published novel, an engrossing coming of age tale about the incredible bond of friendship.
To escape the chaos of London during World War II, young Elizabeth White is sent to live a safer life in the small Irish town of Kilgarret. It is there, in the crowded, chaotic O’Connor household, that she meet Aisling—a girl who soon becomes her very best friend, sharing her pet kitten and secretly teaching her the intricacies of Catholicism.
Aisling’s boldness brings Elizabeth out of her proper shell; later, her support carries Elizabeth through the painful end of her parents’ chilly marriage. In return, Elizabeth’s friendship helps Aisling endure her own unsatisfying marriage to a raging alcoholic. Through the years, they come to believe they can overcome any conflict, conquer any hardship—as long as they have each other. Now they’re about to find out if they're right...
“A sumptuous saga.”—Harper’s
“Wonderful…a novel that could be mistaken for life.”—New York Daily News
Customer Reviews
Middle of the Road
I love Maeve Binchy’s writing and I have enjoyed so many of her books. This is not one of her best in my opinion. I love how the story starts in the present and then we are taken back to the beginning. And there are wonderful characters in the book; colorful, interesting, irritating, heartwarming, good, bad and in-between. The friendship between the main characters is heartwarming. You really do get a sense of how life was during this timeframe and a flavor for both Ireland and England which is Binchy’s strong suit and where her talent lies. The book is a bit long and while I don’t have any problems with fat books as long as they keep me engrossed, this one wavered a bit. We see the two main characters as they grow from children to teen to women discovering the world and wanting to live fully versus being forced into the roles women typically were forced to play out. The ending, however, kind of left me feeling flat. Had the ending left me satisfied and full I would have enjoyed the whole experience more.
Maeve Binchy
The author expertly brings her characters to life, developing them as the story unfolds. Two friends with very different backgrounds experience major changes that keep drawing them back together.
Great story of two womens lives
I read this years ago and still love the story enough to reread it. Compelling and heart wrenching. A lovely evocation of 20th century England and Ireland. If you enjoy the chronicles of a lifetime told through central characters and their struggles this is a great book.