(Read by Sile Bermingham, Joyce Entwistle, John Lee, and Katharine McEwan; Random House Audio; 9 CDs)
This is a mixed bag in that some of these stories are top-notch Binchy, funny and charming, or dark and poignant. A few, however, are just middling as they are not fully developed or end abruptly. Enough remains to entertain, but much of that is due to a cast of Irish and English actors that breathes life into her words. Lee cleverly manages several voices and Entwistle, whose voice is a bit dusky, stands out. A forward by Binchy's husband, the writer Gordon Snell, explains that the stories were collected after she died. While one wishes to honor her memory, some of these feel like scraps gathered up just to generate income. Grade: B Minus
