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  • Firefly Summer

  • By: Maeve Binchy
  • Narrated by: Kate Binchy
  • Length: 23 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (61 ratings)

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Firefly Summer cover art

Firefly Summer

By: Maeve Binchy
Narrated by: Kate Binchy
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Publisher's Summary

"Firefly Summer is warm, humorous, sad and happy. Reading it is a joy" ( Irish Independent )

In the summer of 1962, an American millionaire arrives in a small, sleepy Irish town with far-reaching consequences.

For the children of the Ryan family, the long hot summers are usually spent playing in the ruins of a large, abandoned house. But when the American, Patrick O'Neill, buys the ruins, dreams are made and broken and secrets which should never be revealed are betrayed.

Firefly Summer tells interlocking stories of love lost and won during four fateful years in the life of a close-knit Irish community.

©1987 Maeve Binchy (P)2010 Audible Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Totally engrossing....Unforgettable....An absolutely grand story....A lyrical and compelling family drama....Mountfern and its residents come vibrantly alive." (The Plain Dealer)
"The secrets hidden behind lace curtains, a young girl's first kiss, children's summer games, unexpected pregnancies, sudden deaths. She makes us feel as if we also know the place and the people....One of those good, old-fashioned stories that are as comfortable and comforting as home itself." (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

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What listeners say about Firefly Summer

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loved it

Fabulous story. I laughed and gasped at the good and the bad. Eddie Ryan was my favourite character. Great reading, it was like a cast of thousands.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Pure joy

Fantastic and cleverly written with amazing dialogue and beautiful humour. Brilliantly narrated. Loved it all.

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A wonderful read

Sorry I’m finished this book. I’ll miss the characters who are so familiar as to be friends. Story wasn’t predictable and kept me curious as to where it was going. I loved the performance. Best ever.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Another great book

Another enjoyable book by a great author. So easy to get totally involved in the story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not a happy ending

I really enjoyed this book & loved all the characters. Was very disappointed with the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Love Mae e Binchy

Beautiful story, wish it had a happier ending, would have loved a sequel. I love Maeve Binchy’s novels, and I have read most of her books, now I am listening to her novels on audible

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A great audible story of 1960s Ireland

Maeve Binchy was a fabulous writer who brought life in small Irish villages in the 1960s alive with her stories. This one is told beautifully and keeps the listener wonderfully engaged

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A comfortable listen, but not one of Maeve's best

Regrettably, Firefly Summer is not one of Maeve's better novels -- it's too long and poorly paced, often feeling slow. Having said that, it's a typical Maeve story of real, engaging people who are complex and interesting. The rural setting is unusual for Maeve's work, and the historical timeframe (covering the period 1962-65) offers interesting insights into Irish society of that generation, when the civil war was a living memory and the Church still ran the country. This novel also contains Maeve's only thoroughly 'bad' character (as far as I'm aware...) -- Kerry O'Neill is a true narcissist with no empathy and no redeeming features.

There are a few problems with the recording -- bits of text repeated without warning (1-2 minutes' worth), and some static interference , presumably from converting an old recording into digital format.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

i found this book enjoyable despite the fact it didn't seem to have a real hook or edge to it, it was just a story that you wanted to keep listening to. The narrator was marvelous.

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