Have you ever wondered what life would have been like if a certain event in your life had never occured?To read this novel is to read about the life of some one like that. If the bus had never broken down Elizabeth(Beth) would never have met George and her life wouldn't have been changed for the worse. It is the 1930's and Beth is living in Cork with her parents. She is after arriving home from a trip to Dublin with her friend Ida, but she has a deep secret that no one must know - she is pregnent and has only two choices- leave home and move into a home run by the nuns for unwed mothers or to marry... After a horrifying visit to the nun-run home Beth solomly decides to marry. The match is made for her, she is to wed a resently bereaved man named Neeley Scollard. After a quiet ceremony Beth is brought home- not to Cork but to her new home in Beara on the west most tip of Dingle where she is met by her new daughters.Beth has a son whom she calls Francey. Straight away it is obvious that Neeley is a strict man- all of his family fear him. Neeley's cousin Mossie is a decent type of person but Neeley maintains that Mossie is a land-grabber and that he and his family are to have nothing to do with him. After a dance Neeley losses his temper and hurts Francey, that night while Beth is in Cork hospital with Francey, Neeley dies. Everyone suspects that young Danny Mc Carthy has murdered him- noboby knows. After many years of heart ache and turmoil Beth wants to leave Beara but finds it too hard to leave. Mossie trys to win her heart but ............. You don't think that I'm going to tell you the whole story? If I did where's the point in reading the book? Deirdre Purcell is the best in a new type of writer. She is able to pull you into the story and into the lives the characters. I really enjoyed this book- I've read it God knows how many times. I have found that I hate to put this book down when I'm reading it. If you want to read more about the Scollard family, the continuation book is called Francey and it lets us know what happened the only boy and the rset of his clann (family for those of you that don't speak Irish). Happy reading- let me know if you read the book and enjoyed it or even if you hated it- I might be able to suggest more books for you. Slan o mise !! (Good bye from me !!

I saw the movie and fell for Liam Cunningham and am now looking for my Mossie Sheehan. I am not much for the romantical farce normally, but this one caught my eye and heart. I am also looking for a copy of the movie.

From beginning to end, I found this book truly enthralling. I absolutely adored it. I could not at all put it down. The story is in depth and right at the heart of conflicts of emotions. The characters are lovable and realistic. It is full of heart ache, joy, love, romance, modern dilemas and sex. What else does one need from a book?

My advice to any hopeless romantic is to read this book, and maybe even then, buy the video. Even if you have already seen the video, it is worth reading the book. The plot is a lot thicker and more enjoyable!

All three of her books I have read and enjoyed each tremendously. The size (length) may scare away some readers, but they don't know what they're missing. Each of her novels are hard-to-put-down reads. I'm just sorry she has not written more.

This book is brilliant. I can't actually describe how I felt when I read it. I couldn't put it down.

It is about 2 people who love each other more than life. They love each other more than eternity + eternity.

I'm not a prude at all, but this is too much! Ok about the sister and brother getting married (absurdly farfetched that they would even meet let alone marry), but at least they were unaware of their true relationship. And the baby had to be genetically defective? Come on, now! But to have the hots for your sibbling? Who cares if they were not BIOLOGICALLY related? They were raised all their lives as sister and brother for God's sake. So now I suppose adopted siblings, step-sibblings will start lusting after each other. On page 230 thereabouts the author decided she needed some hot sex to keep the reader's interest. This is apparently about as far a romance writer can go without detailed sex. Ms Purcell suddenly produces a character named Gillian who does not even reappear in the book. Ok, so why did I read the book if I feel so negative about it? Well, it is highly readable and even pretty good at times. The best writing, I thought, was the plane crash in the beginning of the book. I also loved the character Maggie. Too bad she was killed off in the first chapter. I will not attempt to read anymore of Ms Purcell's books, thank you.

A Place of Stones is a wonderful novel because it's real and out there. It talks about people and sentiments we find ourselves dealing with everyday. The love you seek but cannot reach. The want to belong but never finding the place you know is home. I think it got to me because once I started to read it I could not put it down. I got involved in the story, imagining the places and people mentioned. Deciding whether I liked a character or not. I think a particular novel reaches the top and is read by many if the plot line is strong enough to keep the reader interested and guessing on what might happen next. A Place of Stones did that.

This novel is so beautifully writen that it's extremely difficult to ever forget the characters or the dark secrets they hide. It introduced me to this author who has gone on to write equally compelling stories

In the style of Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, I easily fell in love with Deirdre Pucell. Roses After Rain is a sequel to Ashes of Roses. (both of these are the american titles, Roses after Rain is also known as Francey.) While it is it's 'own' story, I would recommend reading Ashes first. Elizabeth and her children are wonderful characters and knowing their history enhances the sequel.

I have read everything I've found by Purcell. My favorite by her is A Place of Stones, but all her work is good. (Obviously some stronger [Stone, Childhood Country] than others [Sky, Love Like Hate Adore].)

Having read all of the works by Binchy, Pilcher, and Purcell, I anxiously hope Ms. Purcell is working on another novel.

A sequel to the original Finbar's Hotel, both edited by Dermot Bolger, this book follows the original format of having several well-respected Irish writers each write a chapter (unattributed) regarding a different room or charactor (porter, owner) on the same night in a Dublin Hotel. For this book, all the authors are women, including the popular Maeve Binchy, and the hotel has been spiffed up from its former seediness. Perhaps the seedier side of the Liffey is more interesting, for this has all the excitement of your basic hotel room decor. While the scenarios and problems of each charactor are varied (birth mother meeting son 27 years later, a nun with a rendezvous, a penniless faded film star with an illict guest in the penthouse she can't pay for) the writing and charactorizations never strike out beyond the realm of predicatability. In the first book, the common thread of charactors popping up in each others stories added another layer of interst, but each story could stand on its own merit as well. In this, the plot and places feel forced, the mention of charactors from other stories imposed on the story. While in the first, half the fun was trying to figure out who wrote each story (authors names are not given to any story), for ladie's night, it hardly matters. One story feels much like another. While the stories are pleasant reads, they never reach beyond (I hate to say it) Ladies Magazine fiction to the level of true literary fiction.

I bought this book because I saw Maeve Binchey's name on it. As much as I love her writing, I have not read much Irish fiction, and this looked like a fun book.

The book is a set of short stories that have inter-connecting characters in the stories. Each chapter was written by a different author, and I had fun trying to figure out who wrote which chapter. The story itself was light and fun, but not as much as I had hoped.

I enjoyed reading Ladies Night at Finbar's hotel, and would highly recommend it as a vacation or beach read. Nothing too deep to get lost in.

This book us a follow-up to Finbar's Hotel where 6 Irish writers wrote short stories about a decrepit but lively Dublin hotel Ladies Night is all Irish female writers, with the unique female perspective on many issues related to women: pregnancy, artificial insemination, old loves who have done you wrong, youth and aging, sexual jealousy. Although the topics can be dark, the writing is tight, witty and stylish so you can appreciate the humor even if you are crying over a piteous situation, hoping it will all turn out all right in the end. But does it? Read each story and see!