This book has been rather refreshing for me. It is meant to be an armchair and hot chocolate kind of a book, but I have ironically read most of it during my travels in the last 20 days. Perhaps it was the much needed calm in the moving daily life of being away from home. When I picked up this book at a book sale, I had not researched the author, and picked this up only because I liked the story synopsis at the back of the book. I myself aspire to do something in the food industry one day, and the story of two people with a newly started catering company immediately appealed to me. There are lots of characters in the book, and from children to older people, we see all of the people in depth and detail, and in their fullness and completeness, they appear to us like people we would know and not just distant characters in a book. I like it that though the book is about two people, the other folks aren't left out. I like it when the writer can write well enough about a relationship between two people, for you to start imagining what it'd be like if you knew the people yourself, or even imagine yourself as one of the people being spoken of and can think what it'd be like to relate to the other. This not only involves imagination but even empathy at some level, and the author here does a good job. Of course, the book is about the ups and downs of the catering company and of the protagonists, and that too is captured well. There are good twists and turns, and the plot is enticing enough, and sets the pace as good as a thriller novel, without being one. Lastly, I love the ambiguous ending where the author leaves it to you to imagine the course of life of the protagonists. I think I liked it that the author gave me that space, to think what I'd like of the further lives of the characters, based on how well I have come to know them during the book.
I've been on a reading hiatus for about two months. To get back in the habit, I've decided to go for another Maeve Binchy book. Agreeing to one of her critics' words, I was looking for something that feels like coming home. And Scarlet Feather did not disappoint in the "feels like home" category.Scarlet Feather is a story about Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather starting their own catering business. I liked reading about the challenges they faced and how much effort they all exerted to keep the business going. Gaining a bit of information on the things that go on within the catering business was also a plus for me. Furthermore, similar to another Maeve Binchy book I've read (Quentins), the story also involves lives of many other people. In this case, we have Cathy and Tom's partners, parents, siblings, friends and other relatives. All the extra stories with diverse characters blended so well with each other. And the family dynamics have been shown realistically. Unfortunately, the story seems a bit flat. It was simply about their challenges and rewards in the business and basically about their everyday lives. Yes, they encountered problems much bigger than others. But these harder challenges were highlighted as much as the other common business problems, making them seem less difficult. Aside from reading about Cathy, Tom and the Scarlet Feather's staff giving all their best for the business, the parts that I liked were those related to Cathy's nephew and niece. These parts were like a break from all their concerns coming from different directions. And though limited, they added emotion to the story.In general, the story is just okay. I'd still read other Maeve Binchy books though because I like her style... comforting and with just the right pace.
What do You think about Scarlet Feather (2002)?
I'm a fan of Maeve Binchy, have been since I first encountered her books in our local library. She writes about Ireland, her home, with great affection, and much of what she writes reminds me of my upbringing in Scotland. Scarlet Feather is not the first or last of her books that I read, nor is it really her best. But there's something about it that just drew me in and made me want to read it again. I think it's the twins, Simon and Maude, and the way they interact with the other characters to bring out a variety of social and family issues that fascinated me. In any case, I enjoyed it so much I actually bought my own copy!Here is a longer review I published on Wizzley.
—Jennifer Tanabe
this was the first audiobook i ever listened to on my work commute. i loved it so much that i haven't been without an audiobook of some kind pretty much ever since. so now, more than 5 years later, i thought it was worth a re-listen. i still loved it. maybe even more. maeve binchy creates such very likeable characters with such positive attitudes even in the face of terrible crises. and barbara caruso is a masterful narrator. she is the only narrator that i've ever gone out of my way to find books that she's read. in this book, she manages to make distinct voices for at least a dozen or more different characters -- all slightly different variations of irish accents. you know it's a good book when this time, on my second listen, i still gasped in indignation when outrageous things were done to the protagonist and i still got teary-eyed in the sappy bits. even though it's 17 discs long, i didn't want it to end.
—Carissa
I have read many Maeve Binchy books, and I have to say I haven't met one I didn't like. I decided to just pick one, because this one had characters that were repeated in other novels. Quentins, Nights of Rain and Stars, Heart and Soul, Evening Class, Minding Frankie. I love seeing the characters reappear, not as primary, but as secondary in other stories. Ms. Binchy's characters are her real strength, because they always feels like friends. And of course, the setting in Ireland (also Italy, Greece, London) appeals to my wonderlust.
—Mary Pessaran
