WHITETHORN WOODS

TITLE: WHITETHORN WOODS
AUTHOR: MAEVE BINCHY
Pages: 449
Date: 06/08/2007
Grade: 4.5
Own

This is a book in which too much happens to give a proper summary. But it all centers around the town of Rossmore, and Whitethorn Woods.
Rossmore is a rapidly growing town, in dire need of a new bypass. Problem is that this road would go through Whitethorn Woods, destroying the well dedicated to St. Ann; the well lots of people visit in the firm believe that St. Ann answers all sorts of problems.
The town is divided as to whether or not the road would be a good thing, and their feelings with regard to the future of the well.
In the end is up to a local man nobody ever gave credit for having brains, to come up with the perfect solution.
And all of the above happens in less than a quarter of the book.
The rest of the book consists of stories about people, connected to Rossmore in one way or another, but not necessarily living there or relating to the road dilemma.
And that's the reason the book doesn't score a 5. In many ways it felt more like a collection of short stories than a novel.
It was a very comforting, easy and at times funny or touching read though, as I've come to expect from Binchy.