May 19, 2011
“It takes a village to raise a child. We’ve all heard this saying and seen the bumper sticker. The truth is that most people give lip service to this idea, but very few in our society actually do it. This book is about a “village” that did. Noel is a young alcoholic in a dead-end job living with his parents in a nice neighborhood in Dublin when he gets a call from a young woman in the hospital. It turns out that Stella, from a one-night-stand, is pregnant with his baby and also terminally ill. She asks Noel to raise their child and make sure to do right by her. It’s a terrifying assignment, but Noel rises to the challenge. Many friends and relatives in the neighborhood agree to help raise little Frankie so Noel can juggle fatherhood, work and going to college, not to mention giving up the drink. This book is peopled with a cast of characters you’ll become invested in, like gentle Father Flynn, who lives above the hairdressing salon; Emily, the cousin from America who can do anything and everything; Lisa, the talented artist who helps Noel “mind” baby Frankie; and many more. Then, of course, there’s the nemesis: an uptight social worker who thinks Frankie would be better off in foster care. Binchy handles the multiple threads of this tapestry skillfully, weaving side plots in and out of the main story. I believe this book is related to others she’s written, but you won’t be at a loss if you just read this one.”—Amanda, Paulina Springs Books, with locations in Sisters and Redmond, OR