Here is another Maeve Binchy tale that takes place in Dublin, Ireland.

Ria Johnson is the main character. She marries real estate agent Danny Lynch, and over the course of several years, they have two children, Annie and Brian. They love their big house on Tara Road, and they love shopping to fill it with antiques. They also fill it with friends and family members, almost all of the time. Ria is forever cooking and acting as hostess. Which is the way she likes it. And yet: the marriage is in trouble, and so is Danny's job. And Ria barely realizes the challenges until they land right on top of her.

Halfway through the book, the scenery changes. Through an odd yet perfect circumstance, Ria is able to exchange houses for two summer months with Marilyn Vine, who lives in Connecticut. Both women need time away from their personal challenges at home. Both hope that a new environment will give them a new perspective on their daily lives. Maybe they'll discover the best paths and motivations to move forward.

Now we have TWO main characters to keep track of: Ria and Marilyn. They're two very different people. Ria is outgoing, and Marilyn keeps to herself. Each one has her own way of doing things. What will happen when the switch is made, and they both find themselves living under vastly different arrangements? And will they ever have the chance to meet each other in person? This is part of the fun for us readers. Certainly, we also hope that both Ria and Marilyn will be able to find their own ways to peace and prosperity.

Tara Road may start out as a methodical, one-family drama. But once Ria and Marilyn move to each other's towns, the pace quickens as we bounce from one person and place to the other. Now it turns into the kind of book that you can't put down. The clock stops, and pages seem to turn by themselves.

Maeve Bincy follows this engaging story with two tangential others, Scarlet Feather and Quentins. We catch glimpses of familiar characters in these sequels. The storytelling is enough that we want to walk down Tara Road ourselves and to wave hello to everyone we "know." Because by now, we do indeed know them.