What a simple story but very powerful. Maeve Binchy's characters come to life and stay with you long after you close the book. This novel had many characters and I feared I would never keep them all straight but each one is unique and well defined so it is easy to keep everyone straight throughout the entire 600 pages. The story is of simple people, living their lives, trying to make the best of each situation. There is no background of war, disaster just daily life played out on two different continents. Maeve Binchy understands people and how they might react to life's events depending on their personality and their life experiences. Things don't all work out by the end but the characters have grown and again true love and family triumphs.

It's official, I'm on a summer 2018 Binchy Binge.

Adysnewbox Ugh, this book. I was able to plow through it only because it is engaging, in a soap-opera-y way. But the first half is WAY TOO LONG and should have been severely edited down. I would have given this book two-and-a-half stars, since the back half of the book is much more enjoyable than the interminable first half.

So much meandering text! What is "Tara Road" trying to say, exactly? When a crisis hits your marriage, a home-swap across the Pond is the way to go? Strict adherence to Irish Catholicism only leads to adultery, divorce, out-of-wedlock children, and even abuse? Irish women visiting America can start up their own business within the space of a two-month visit? Never trust your friends, because they're probably sleeping with your husband?? Argh...someone explain this book to me!

It was REALLY hard to care about any of the characters. The women were either: 1. Saintly and ignorant and put-upon, or 2. Amoral, selfish, and b!t#&y. The main male characters were either drunken abusers or unrepentant philanderers. Very little moral complexity either way. No WONDER this book is on Oprah's list...she eats this stuff up!

ETA: now I find that I finished this book (and my negative assessment of it!) on the VERY DAY that Ms. Binchy shuffled off this mortal coil. Gee, don't I feel like a jerk. Well, not much.

It has been quite some time since I have read a Maeve Binchy book, but I remembered her wonderful Irish stories about human relationships and emotions and the realm of goodness and the sorrow of misunderstandings. I also remembered I should have a box of tissues close by and sure enough Tara Road proved true to form.

Ria Johnson a somewhat awkward and insecure young secretary meets incredibly handsome Danny Lynch at work and they fall in love and move into their dream house on Tara Road and have two children. As Ria settles into family life she blossoms, she gathers people she loves around her and the house buzzes with energy. Danny becomes a successful real estate agent.

As any reader knows anything so perfect cannot last and that is as much as I will say without revealing all. What Binchy does so well is create believable characters who we suffer with. Ria is a person who we all would want for a friend. She is loving, fun-loving and loyal. I’d love to sit around her kitchen table and have tea.

Who wouldn’t want to take a journey to Tara Road and visit Ria?