Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather have decided to create the best catering company in Dublin. They have plenty of talent, the perfect premises, and even a few contacts. But not everyone is as pleased by the idea of 'Scarlet Feather' as they are.

Tom's parents are disappointed that he has turned his back on the family business. Cathy's mother-in-law believes Cathy should be at home. And Tom's relationship with his beautiful, ambitious girlfriend is slowly disintegrating.

As Cathy and Tom strive to maintain their emotional ties amidst catering triumphs and disasters, they find both support and opposition where they least expect it.

The Journey... Every Friday night a lilac-colored minibus leaves Dublin for the Irish country town of Rathdoon with seven weekend commuters on board. All of them, from the joking bank porter to the rich doctor's daughter, have their reasons for making the journey.
The Destination...Rathdoon is the kind of Irish village where family histories are shared and scandals don't stay secret for long. And this weekend, when the bus pulls in, the riders find the unexpected waiting for them...as each of their private lives unfolds to reveal a sharp betrayal of the heart, a young man's crime, and a chance for new dreams among the eight intriguing men and women on...

"From the Trade Paperback edition."

'A book designed to be read in a dark January chill; it begs for a fireside and the sound of wind and rain howling outside' THE LADY This winter, escape to a warm and wonderful clifftop hotel with the world's favourite storyteller. Now with brand new introduction by Cathy Bramley, bestselling author of Merrily Ever After. 'Sometimes she would go and walk the cliffs at night and look out over the ocean...' Set high on the cliffs on the west coast of Ireland, Stone House was falling into disrepair until one woman, with a past she needed to forget, breathed new life into the place. Now a hotel with a big warm kitchen and log fires, it provides a welcome few can resist. And so gather the guests: some with secrets, some longing to leave their old lives behind, and some hoping the break at Stone House will help them find a way to face the future... 'A book to treasure' HELLO 'Full of her trademark warmth, humour and lovable characters' WOMAN 'A master storyteller' MARIAN KEYES

Pearson English Readers bring language learning to life through the joy of reading.   Well-written stories entertain us, make us think, and keep our interest page after page. Pearson English Readers offer teenage and adult learners a huge range of titles, all featuring carefully graded language to make them accessible to learners of all abilities.   Through the imagination of some of the world’s greatest authors, the English language comes to life in pages of our Readers. Students have the pleasure and satisfaction of reading these stories in English, and at the same time develop a broader vocabulary, greater comprehension and reading fluency, improved grammar, and greater confidence and ability to express themselves.   Find out more at english.com/readers

'A true epic . . . It's easy to see why this stunning tale has been called the Australian Gone With the Wind' Daily Mail 'One of the biggest-selling, most widely read books in the history of fiction' Observer In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of Clearys live through joy and sadness, bitter defeat and magnificent triumph - driven by their dreams, sustained by remarkable strength of character and torn by dark passions, violence and a scandalous family legacy of forbidden love. It is a poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit. Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, who can never possess the man she so desperately adores - Ralph de Bricassart. Ralph will rise from parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican ... but his passion for Meggie will follow him all the days of his life. A timeless epic romance - a battle between faith and the heart

'There's nobody like Binchy for warming the cockles, and this collection of Christmas stories warms them to white heat' Kate Saunders, The Times Christmas: a time of year when emotions run high and long-held secrets can unexpectedly surface... This Year It Will Be Different powerfully evokes the lives of wives, husbands, children, friends and lovers. As the festivities take hold, there are step-families grappling with exes; long-married couples faced with in-law problems; a wandering husband choosing between the other woman and his wife; a child caught up in a grown-up tug-of-war. 'We are all in her pages, all of us: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, children, friends, lovers ... It is this combination of Maeve's understanding of what it is to be human, and how to cope with life, that makes her so popular' Veronica Henry, bestselling author of Christmas at the Beach Hut

'A brilliant storyteller' GRAHAM NORTON 'This is Binchy at her best' MAIL ON SUNDAY THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF A CLASSIC NOVEL FROM THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE STORYTELLER, #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR MAEVE BINCHY. Ria and Marilyn have never met, but they're about to switch lives for the summer... Ria Lynch lives in a big, warm, Victorian house in Tara Road, Dublin, where her life revolves around family and friends. Marilyn Vine lives thousands of miles away in a quiet, modern house in New England. After a terrible loss, she has closed herself off from the world. Two more unlikely friends would be hard to find, but when each needs a place to escape to, a house exchange seems the ideal solution. Along with the borrowed houses come neighbours and friends, gossip and speculation, and Ria and Marilyn soon realise that swapping lives won't be the peaceful escape they'd been hoping for ... Though it might turn out to be exactly the change they both needed. *AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK*

'Binchy weaves her magic once again in an addictive story about families and people who aren't always quite what they seem' Woman & Home Baby Frankie is born into an unusual family. Her mother is desperate to find someone to take care of her child and she doesn't have much time. Noel doesn't seem to be the most promising of fathers but despite everything, he could well be Frankie's best hope. As for Lisa, she is prepared to give up everything for the man she loves; surely he's going to love her back? And Moira is having none of it. She knows what's right, and has the power to change the course of Frankie's life...but Moira is hiding secrets of her own.

Maeve Binchy, "the grand story teller,"* returns with a cast of characters you will never forget when they all spend a winter week together on holiday at Stone House, a restful inn by the sea...
Stoneyville is a small town on the coast of Ireland where all the families know each other. When Chicky decides to take an old decaying mansion, Stone House, and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, the town thinks she is crazy. She is helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the place) and her niece Orla (a whiz at business). Finally the first week of paying guests arrive: John, the American movie star thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian, forced into taking a holiday together; Nuala and Henry, husband and wife, both doctors who have been shaken by seeing too much death; Anders, the Swedish boy, hates his father's business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired school teacher, who criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone's relief; the Walls who have entered in 200 contests (and won everything from a microwave oven to velvet curtains, including the week at Stone House); and Freda, the psychic who is afraid of her own visions. You will laugh and cry as you spend the week with this odd group who share their secrets and might even have some of their dreams come true.

A fantastic Maeve Binchy - written specially for the World Book Day Quick Reads promotion. 'Her storytelling ability is second to none' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'It's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters' OK MAGAZINE 'Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller' NEW YORK TIMES Dee loves her children very much, but now they are all grown up, shouldn't they leave home? Rosie moved out when she got married, but it didn't work out, so now she is back with her parents. Helen is a teacher, and doesn't earn enough for a place of her own. Anthony writes songs, and is just waiting for the day when someone will pay him for them. Until then, all three are happy at home. It doesn't cost them anything, and surely their parents like having a full house? When a crisis occurs, Dee decides things have to change for the whole family...whether they like it or not.

'A touching, funny, optimistic book full of wonderful, well observed characters' Daily Mail 'Maeve Binchy at her best' Choice Everything is changing in small Irish town of Rossmore - and when a new road threatens to cut through Whitethorn Woods, everyone has a passionate opinion about whether the town will benefit or suffer. At the heart of the conflict is the fate of St. Ann's Well. People have been coming to St. Ann's for generations to share their dreams and fears. Some believe it to be a place of true spiritual power, demanding protection; others think it's a mere magnet for superstitions, easily sacrificed. When one man is offered compensation for his land - but has a personal reason to save the well - and a childless London woman comes to Whitethorn Woods, begging the saint for help, the consequences are not as anyone anticipated . . .

'One of my all-time favourites' LORRAINE KELLY 'An absolute joy. Maeve sweeps you away to an island paradise!' VERONICA HENRY ___________ 'They were still talking as the first stars came into the sky...' Four strangers meet at a taverna on a beautiful Greek island, with nothing in common except a need to escape. But over one magical summer they'll discover that sometimes, the people who understand you the best can be the ones who don't know you at all... ___________ Find out why millions of readers adore Maeve Binchy... 'A story to lift your heart and bring you peace.' (Five stars) 'Maeve Binchy in the sunshine of Greece - what more could one want?' (Five stars) 'Happy and life-affirming' (Five stars) 'The Greek island itself was so real, it made you want to pack a suitcase an rush off to live there.' (Five stars) 'Set on a beautiful Greek island, and as you get caught up in the story you feel as if you have been there yourself.' (Five stars) 'Romance, disappointments, opportunities taken, beautiful Greece all tied up in a holiday package.' (Five stars) ___________ SPECIAL EDITION FEATURING 'MEMORIES OF MAEVE' FROM: Minnie Driver - Marian Keyes - Cathy Kelly - Veronica Henry Jilly Cooper - Lorraine Kelly - Jenny Colgan - Katie Fforde - Ruby Wax Patricia Scanlan - Liz Nugent - Megan Nolan - Maeve's friends & colleagues Introduced by Maeve's husband, Gordon Snell. ___________ 'A brilliant storyteller' GRAHAM NORTON 'A master storyteller' NEW YORK TIMES 'Maeve Binchy was my hero' MARIAN KEYES 'The Queen of Fiction' IRISH TIMES 'A true star' JILLY COOPER 'A remarkable writer' RUBY WAX 'Wielded her pen with dizzying genius' CATHY KELLY ___________

A brilliantly funny guide to the trials and tribulations of hospitals and convalescence - from No. 1 bestselling author Maeve Binchy. Get the feel-better factor from Maeve Binchy as she teams up with artist Wendy Shea to bring us ACHES & PAINS. This gem of a book includes: Five things you can say to annoy the patient in the next bed How to put on elastic stockings Six ways to make non-alcoholic drinks bearable How to be the perfect hospital visitor Unusual but essential things for your medicine cupboard Filled with the fun, warmth and wisdom for which Maeve Binchy is famous, ACHES & PAINS is the perfect alternative to a Get Well card.

'There's nobody like Binchy for warming the cockles, and this collection of Christmas stories warms them to white heat' Kate Saunders, The Times Christmas: a time of year when emotions run high and long-held secrets can unexpectedly surface... This Year It Will Be Different powerfully evokes the lives of wives, husbands, children, friends and lovers. As the festivities take hold, there are step-families grappling with exes; long-married couples faced with in-law problems; a wandering husband choosing between the other woman and his wife; a child caught up in a grown-up tug-of-war. 'We are all in her pages, all of us: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, children, friends, lovers ... It is this combination of Maeve's understanding of what it is to be human, and how to cope with life, that makes her so popular' Veronica Henry, bestselling author of Christmas at the Beach Hut

'Irresistible' Elle AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK 'This is Binchy at her best' Mail on Sunday A house swap leads to an unlikely and touching friendship, as secrets are unveiled and lives changed. Ria and Marilyn have never met - they live thousands of miles apart, separated by the Atlantic Ocean: one in a big, warm, Victorian house in Tara Road, Dublin, the other in a modern, open-plan house in New England. Two more unlikely friends would be hard to find: Ria's life revolves around her family and friends, while Marilyn's reserve is born of grief. But when each needs a place to escape to, a house exchange seems the ideal solution. Along with the borrowed houses come neighbours and friends, gossip and speculation as Ria and Marilyn swap lives for the summer...

Deeply Regretted By . . ., Maeve Binchy's classic television play, is a moving and powerful account of a tragedy affecting a woman in London who discovers, on the death of her 'husband', that their married life was a lie. When shown on RTE Television twenty-five years ago Deeply Regretted By . . . affected audiences intensely, and exposed a hidden vein in Irish society--that of bigamy. The play reflects the sociopolitical realities of Irish men marrying and starting families both at home and abroad, principally after they were forced to emigrate for work. Deeply Regretted By . . is a brave and revealing account of a hidden layer of Irish society which Maeve Binchy first brought to the surface in her Irish Times story, "Death in Kilburn," (also included in this volume). Arlen House are proud to publish Deeply Regretted By . . . as the first in a new series of Arlen Classic Literature.

Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know each other. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Stone House is finally ready to welcome its first guests to the big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms. Laugh and cry with this unlikely group as they share their secrets and--maybe--even see some of their dreams come true. Full of Maeve's trademark warmth and humor, once again, she embraces us with her grand storytelling.

The #1 "New York Times" bestsellera in trade paperback for the first time.
Is it possible to tell the story of a generation and a city through the history of a restaurant? Ella Brady thinks so. She wants to film a documentary about Quentins that will capture the spirit of Dublin from the 1970s to the present day. After all, the restaurant saw the people of a city become more confident in everything from their lifestyles to the food that they chose to eat. And Quentins has a thousand stories to tell. But as Ella uncovers more of what has gone on at Quentins, she begins to wonder whether some secrets should be kept that waya]

'THE GLASS LAKE is Maeve Binchy at her spellbinding best - you'll never want it to end' Woman's Journal 'Maeve Binchy really knows what makes women tick. She crystallises their hopes, dreams and passions in her novels and now she has done it again in THE GLASS LAKE ... a marvellous read' Daily Mirror Kit McMahon lives in the small Irish town of Lough Glass, a place where nothing changes - until the day Kit's mother disappears and Kit is haunted by the memory of her mother, alone at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her face. Now Kit, too, has secrets: of the night she discovered a letter and burned it, unopened. The night her mother was lost. The night everything changed forever...

A Main Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club

New York Times bestselling author Maeve Binchy has captured the hearts of millions with her unforgettable novels. Binchy's graceful storytelling and wise compassion have earned her the devotion of fans worldwide--and made her one of the most beloved authors of our time. Now she dazzles us once again with a new novel filled with her signature warmth, humor, and tender insight. A provocative tale of family heartbreak, friendship, and revelation,Tara Road explores every woman's fantasy: escape, into another place, another life. "What if..." Binchy asks, and answers in her most astonishing novel to date.

Maeve Binchy's highly successful Quick Read. 'She is the Queen of Fiction and one of the funniest and best-loved storytellers in the world . . . once you read Maeve you are hooked for life' IRISH TIMES 'Maeve Binchy's work continues to inspire ... thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure' WOMAN Molly Sullivan said that the new baby was a little star. She was no trouble at all and she was always smiling - so she became known as Star and no one remembered that her name was Oona. Star Sullivan just wanted everyone to be happy - her father to stop gambling, her mother not to work so hard, her brother to stay out of trouble, her sister to stop worrying about every little thing she ate. Then the Hale family moved in next door, and from the moment Star saw 23-year-old Laddy Hale, everything began to change - until Star was no longer the sweet, thoughtful girl everyone loved and no one worried about...

'Her storytelling ability is second to none' Mail on Sunday 'Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller' New York Times An old copper beech overlooks a school, and witnesses all the hopes and loves, dreams and ambitions of the children who grew up there... Shancarrig School stands in the shade of a glorious old copper beech whose colours tell the passing of the seasons and the years: a tree that has watched over many lives. The school mistress keeps a careful eye on the children, each of whom have their own hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future. As the children grow up, and become parents themselves, their stories are entwined in this gloriously nostalgic novel from the No.1 bestselling author.

'Maeve's Times is funny and clever and kind, which are excellent qualities in both books and people' Irish Times 'As someone who fell off a chair not long ago trying to hear what they were saying at the next table in a restaurant, I suppose I am obsessively interested in what some might consider the trivia of other people's lives.' Maeve Binchy is well known for her bestselling novels, but for many years Maeve was a journalist. From 'The Student Train' to 'Plane Bores' and 'Bathroom Joggers' to 'When Beckett met Binchy', these articles have all the warmth, wit and humanity of her fiction. Arranged in decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s, and including Maeve's first and last ever piece of writing for the Irish Times, the columns also give a fascinating insight into the author herself. With an introduction written by her husband, the writer Gordon Snell, this collection of timeless writing reminds us of why the leading Irish writer was so universally loved.

Superb storytelling from one of the world's best-loved writers. Just round the corner from St Jarlath's Crescent (featured in MINDING FRANKIE) is Chestnut Street. Here, the lives of the residents are revealed in Maeve Binchy's wonderfully compelling tales: Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son. Nessa Byrne, whose aunt comes to visit from America for six weeks every summer and turns the house - and Nessa's world - upside down. Lilian, the generous girl with a big heart, and the fiance not everyone approves of. And Melly, whose gossip about the neighbours leads to trouble in the form of the fortune teller, 'Madame Magic'... 'In Chestnut Street [there is] enough kindness, wisdom and insight into human nature, to remind readers why Maeve Binchy was one of the most beloved writers this country has ever produced' Irish Times