Heart And Soul by Maeve Binchy

Okay, it's a little late, but the book for March, 2009 is"

Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy, one of my favorite authors.

Here what Amazon had to say about the novel:

Quote :

With the insight, humor, and compassion we have come to expect from her, Maeve Binchy tells a story of family, friends, patients, and staff who are part of a heart clinic in a community caught between the old and the new Ireland.

Dr. Clara Casey has been offered the thankless job of establishing the underfunded clinic and agrees to take it on for a year. She has plenty on her plate already—two difficult adult daughters and the unwanted attentions of her ex-husband—but she assembles a wonderfully diverse staff devoted to helping their demanding, often difficult patients.

Before long the clinic is established as an essential part of the community, and Clara must decide whether or not to leave a place where lives are saved, courage is rewarded, and humor and optimism triumph over greed and self-pity.

Heart and Soul is Maeve Binchy at her storytelling best.

So, once again I am poor this month, as we are busy getting ready for our foster baby!

I plan on reading the book at the store until I can purchase it later this month.

Here are my thoughts on chapter one,

I feel for the main character! Her daughters are ungrateful, and her ex is a bastard. And who the hell leaves his wife for a girl named Cinta? Please!

I love all the workers at the heart clinic, especially Annia (I apologize, I forgot to take notes so I'm probably all wrong about these names). I'm wondering if the good doctor and the guy she hired for security will spark... The best thing about Maeve Binchy, at least for me, is the way she flawlessly tells multiple stories at once, how little things, actions, overlap and how repercussions effect even minor characters.

I can not believe that I finished this book on Tuesday and it has taken me me this long to finally sit down and write out my thoughts on it. Especially since I loved this book so much.
I mean this was the first book that I have read in a long time that I didn't want it to end. I've read books recently that I have loved, but when the story is over the story is over. Close the book, take a deep breath and move on. But I didn't want to leave these people.
With so many characters and so many story lines, you wouldn't think there would be a way to feel so connected to each story line, and yet you were.
Well, okay, to be honest, there were some chapters that took me longer to get through then others because it was introducing completely knew characters that were barely even associated to the clinic (like chapter 6; Aiden and Nora Dunne). But by the end of the story you did see how even those chapters would effect the ending. Plus I think Kate is going to add a list of all the characters in this book that were important charachters in other Maeve Binchy work, and I believe that will include Aiden and Nora.
Alright now, who to talk about?
There were too many characters to try to talk about each one. So I am just going to mention the ones I came to care for.
I loved Declan. Smart, funny, caring, red headed, what's not to like? When I finished chapter 2 I was literally numb. The whole relationship between Declan and Fiona was adorable. I loved that in the beginning when Declan was first trying to work out his feelings for her, that his dad stepped in and told the story of how he fell for Declan's mother so
quickly. It really seemed to be what gave Declan the confindence to not doubt his feelings for Fiona.
I loved the part where for their first date he asked her to Quentins, and then he went to the restaurant so he could familar with the place. It was so nice of Brenda Brennan to show him into the kitchen and to just take such an interest in them.
But then when they were getting ready for the dinner with his parents, I mean when you read it, you know something is going to go wrong. But you just never could of anticipated what did go wrong.
When I read;
"He heard the sound of glass breaking, metal buckling and saw the
blood of his only child all over the windshield."
My mouth dropped, my eyes were tearie, my heart stopped, and I could feel all the blood drain out of me. By the time I made it through the last two pages to finish that chapter
I had to put the book aside and brace myself before I could open it again.
I also loved Ania's story. My only wish is that we could have been there when Carl came to get her. I mean I know we got to see him but I wanted to read what he said. How she reacted. I almost cried at that party scene when his mom sent her to the kitchen. God what a bitch!
Okay that is all I am going to write for now. Simply because I am affraid that if I write too much you guys wont read all of it.
So this is just to start with and then I will comment on what you guys
have written.

P.S. I will read anything else by this author so if we want to add any of her works to other months I am so in. I really did love this one.