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Nights of Rain and Stars, Maeve Binchy
Orion
Reviewed by Sheila Forbes (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Fans of Maeve Binchy will be pleased to find she has not kept to her avowed intention of retiring from novel writing. This book follows the well-tried formula of a group of strangers sharing their problems and becoming friends.

Tom, David, Elsa and Fiona meet by chance in a taverna high above the Greek village of Aghia Anna. Each of them is trying to escape a problem at home.

Tom, a divorced American, is having difficulty accepting his wife's remarriage and his son's new stepfather. His frequent phone calls to young Bill end too often in frustrating misunderstandings. David, an only son, is stifled by his high-powered father's expectations that he will follow him into the family business, in which David has not the slightest interest. Elsa, a beautiful and successful German television presenter, is running from a passionate but seemingly dead-end affair with her demanding boss. Fiona, with her obnoxious boyfriend, Shane, is escaping from the strong disapproval of her family in Ireland.

Together they witness an appalling tragedy in the harbour below. In the aftermath they are gradually drawn not only closer to each other, but also into the lives of the villagers, many of whom have their own personal tragedies of long standing. Andreas, the owner of the taverna, has a son in Chicago whom he has not seen or heard from for many years following a family disagreement.

Most intriguing is the character of Vonni, a wise Irish woman who has lived in Aghia Anna for many years. She helps others to see the way forward, but it is a long time before they are able to unravel the mystery of her own sad past.

One of Binchy's strengths is in the lively and convincing conversations between her characters. In this instance there is perhaps more talk than substance, but it is an easy read with just the right touch of romance and a hopeful and satisfying ending.