Chestnut Street

Chestnut Street is the final book by popular Irish author, Maeve Binchy. It is a collection of thirty-six short stories, all with some relation to Chestnut Street, Dublin (just around the corner from St Jarlath’s Crescent, another address well-known to Binchy fans). Most of the stories have not been published previously, but some have a rather unfinished feel, as if they are the first chapter of a longer story. This idea is reinforced by the inclusion of the first chapter of Star Sullivan (a first chapter which promises more than the rather mediocre final version that was published as a Quick Reads story) and the first 3 chapters of The Builders (a wonderful piece of Binchy gold published in the Open Door series). There is a forward by Binchy’s husband, Gordon Snell, outlining her intentions with this collection. While Binchy fans will enjoy most of the stories, a few are decidedly unsatisfying, meaning that this collection is a bit of a mixed bag: most of the stories are true Maeve Binchy diamonds; a few are just stones.