Nights of Rain and Stars

July 19, 2004
Four strangers cross paths in a tiny Greek seaside village in this thin but engaging new novel by bestselling Binchy (Quentins
; Circle of Friends
). When tragedy strikes the smalltown of Aghia Anna in the form of a devastating fire on a tourist pleasure boat—24 people are killed—elderly barkeeper Andreas and craft-shop owner Vonni find themselves host to a random assortment of travelers who watch the conflagration from Andreas's taverna. There is Elsa, the German beauty who is trying to flee from love; David, the quiet young Englishman whose demanding father wants him to go into the family business; Thomas, the American professor who struggles to share his son with his ex-wife's new husband; and Fiona, the Irish nurse who follows her abusive boyfriend despite the warnings of her friends and family. As these strangers become friends, the mysterious Vonni, an Irish woman whose Greek is fluent and whose respected position in town is unquestioned, explores her own memories of heartache, as does Andreas. Unwilling to see their new friends repeat their mistakes, Andreas and Vonni set out to influence the hearts of this motley bunch of foreigners before they leave the village. The setup is flimsy, and the bonds the characters develop are too slender to provide much emotional texture, but Binchy's fans will enjoy this summery page-turner. Agent, Christine Green.
(Sept.)

Forecast:
Fans may feel Binchy strays too far from her rich home turf of Ireland, but most won't begrudge her the vacation.

November 1, 2004
Binchy's latest work (after Quentins
) would present a challenge to any narrator; the large cast of characters includes tourists from all over the globe who meet and become friends after witnessing a tragic accident in a tiny Greek village. But Donnelly rises to the occasion, delivering a virtuoso performance. The diverse cast includes shy Irish nurse Fiona and her abusive boyfriend, Shane; Elsa, a German TV reporter fleeing a lover she no longer trusts; David, a young Englishman who feels trapped by his parents' insistence that he join the family business; Thomas, an American who feels pushed out of his son's life by his ex-wife's new husband; Vonni, an elderly Irish woman who has lived in Greece for the past 30 years; and Andreas, the old Greek taverna owner who misses his long-estranged son. Even in dialogue-heavy sections involving multiple characters, Donnelly switches effortlessly among voices and accents without missing a beat. She brings each personality vividly to life, evoking the complex emotions within him or her. As a result, this compelling, though simple, yarn is especially satisfying in its audio form. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover (Forecasts, July 19).