by Maeve Binchy
First published 2013
Chicky Starr buys an old mansion on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Stoneybridge, a small town on Ireland's west coast where everyone knows each other. When she decides to convert it into a hotel, the locals think she has lost her mind. But Chicky remains determined. With help from her niece Orla and her friend's son Rigger, she opens her hotel, which she calls "A Little Winter Tale." The hotel promises a warm, welcoming atmosphere with miles of sandy beaches, cliffs, wild birds, long walks, and peaceful holidays surrounded by nature. Winter brings an eclectic group of guests to Stoneybridge: a famous American actor tired of celebrity life, a Swedish man who chose family business over his dreams, a nurse forced to vacation with her future mother-in-law, a doctor couple haunted by deaths they witnessed, a newly retired grumpy teacher, and a librarian who sees the future through her sixth sense. For one week, these strangers share the same roof, and their stories become intertwined with hope and the determination to hold onto life.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Stoneybridge, Ireland
Period: Winter
326 pages · Hardcover · Knopf