They have plenty of talent, the perfect premises, and even a few contacts. 'It's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters' OK MagazineĬathy Scarlet and Tom Feather have decided to create the best catering company in Dublin. 'This is Binchy at her finest' Woman and Home With major ad/promo, plus an author tour, this one is a lock for the charts.'I literally could not put the book down' Sunday Express Forecast: Binchy's gift for creating a wide range of characters whose foibles and challenges make them lovable and real, coupled with her theme that genuine love can transform lives, add up to another crowd-pleaser. Whether her readers are aware of such details, they help this wonderfully engaging book ring true. By making her principal characters entrepreneurs, she reflects the ways Ireland's growing economic prosperity has altered social mores. One of Binchy's strengths is her subtle depiction of gradual changes in Irish society. The children's deadpan, exceedingly serious outlook on life is both heartbreaking and hilarious. A charming cast of secondary characters includes Neil's cousins, Simon and Maud, two abandoned, nine-year-old twins who, in a surprising turn of events, come to live with Cathy's parents. Tom has a live-in girlfriend whom he would love to marry, but Marcella, a manicurist in a classy store, yearns to succeed as a model before making any commitments. Neil, a lawyer who champions worthy causes, is unconcerned about the tension between his wife and his snooty mother, and Cathy and Neil find themselves leading busy, separate lives. Cathy, whose out-of-work father plays the races while her mother toils as a housemaid, faces the consequences of having married Neil Mitchell, prized son of an upper-class family who employed Cathy's mother for years. Professionally, they're off to a good start personally, their lives are falling apart. Set in contemporary Ireland over a period of one year, the smartly paced tale focuses on Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather, cooking school chums who achieve their dream of opening a posh catering business, Scarlet Feather, in Dublin. Bestselling author Binchy (Tara Road, etc.) again explores the depths of family relationships in an 11th warm, involving drama.

Scarlet feather book