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THE residents of the fictional Chestnut Street are brought to life with Maeve Binchy’s signature style in this collection of short stories. Although the Irish author died in 2012, these stories were written over several decades.

Very loosely linked – characters only re-appear occasionally – the stories reveal a street where a plethora of people cope with the variety of scenarios life throws at them.

Lilian is warned about the dangers of marrying a stingy man, window cleaner Bucket Maguire never gives up on his son and Anna never seems to realise her husband is having an affair, or does she?

This is not a collection of fluff, but a volume of stories that explores the experiences and problems faced by people not only on Chestnut Street, but everywhere.

Catherine Wylie