Light a Penny Candle

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Kate Binchy

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 can tear asunder - not even the man who threatens to come between them forever.

© Maeve Binchy; (P) Random House

Critic reviews

"A find...so rich and engrossing you can forget your own problems." (Glamour)
"Reader Kate Binchy, the author's cousin, nimbly carries the listener from England to Ireland and back again. She casts a warm spell as she makes each character come alive, from Elizabeth's staid father, to her roguish lover, to the Polish merchant who teaches her about valuing herself. Like the title's "penny candle," Binchy's personalities glow lingeringly in the listener's mind." (AudioFile)

Light a Penny Candle Review

This was a warm hearted light story that showed that true friendship can out last any obsticle. I enjoyed listening to it while exercising as it was easy to follow. The narrator does a good job with her British accent bringing the story more to life. It did have rather a quick unexpected ending that I think could have been expanded upon a little, but overall, I'd recommend it.

Lacks a driven plot

I enjoy Maeve Binchy for her character development. This book however, seemed to end right in the middle of the character's lives and I left feeling like my phone hadn't downloaded the entire book.

Wish Audible offered the unabridged version

Years ago, I read this book and really enjoyed it. This abridged version leaves so much out, I was disappointed.

Audible: Please offer the full abridged version!!

meh

It's an interesting premise. The characters are pretty good, but the story is pretty disjointed.

I like Maeve Binchy a lot. She's an expert at creating chatacters you care about... but this time around, you don't really get to know any of them and the plot is too.... telling... and doesn't have much of a resolution.

its an abridge version - done really bad

Would you try another book from Maeve Binchy and/or Kate Binchy?

I love meave binchy's books - but you miss a lot from her insights in the abridge version

Abridged

I did not realize this was an abridged version when I purchased it
Now I must find a complete copy

I expect more from Binchy

The story is odd and you are unsure of what the purpose is. The ending is odd as well. I just could not understand why it was published.

The whole book seemed like an introduction.

Did Kate Binchy do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

No, the characters were poorly drawn

Any additional comments?

The end had no purpose or relation to the rest of the story. I have enjoyed her other books but this book was a waste of time

ABRIDGED? REALLY??!!

This is a chopped up version of the book. I agree with the other reviewers who describe it as poorly done. I do love Kate Binchy as a reader/narrator because she really gets the voices and inflections right. Audible should say if a book is abridged. I’m exchanging it under Audible’s return policy because it’s not a book I want own.