From Library Journal The chaos of World War II London sends preteen Elizabeth White to the safety of Ireland and into the lives of the much larger and emotional O'Connor family. The enduring friendship she finds with her counterpart， Aisling， forms the framework of this novel， offering clear contrasts between the two families and countries. The early chapters of Binchy's 1982 debut novel are engagingly humorous， filled with solid characterizations of these two very different but compatible adolescents. The girls sustain their friendship and distinct personalities through regular letters， but unfortunately they must grow up and the novel may strain under the conventionality of the genre and some inconsistency， perhaps due to Binchy's inexperience as an author at the time she wrote the original story. Her cousin Kate Binchy reads the book well， capturing the innocence， yearning， and growth of the girls. Recommended for larger fiction collections.-Joyce Kessel， Villa Maria Coll.， Buffalo Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From AudioFile Shipped out of WWII-battered London by her mother， 10-year-old evacuee Elizabeth White moves in with friends， the O'Connors， in Ireland. In a book that spans three decades， author Maeve Binchy follows pale， timid Elizabeth and her red-haired， Irish-Catholic "sister，" Aisling， through first loves， weddings， drunken brawls， funerals， and births. Reader Kate Binchy， the author's cousin， nimbly carries the listener from England to Ireland and back again. She casts a warm spell as she makes each character come alive， from Elizabeth's staid father， to her roguish lover， to the Polish merchant who teaches her about valuing herself. Like the title's "penny candle，" Binchy's personalities glow lingeringly in the listener's mind. E.V. © AudioFile 2001， Portland， Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile， Portland， Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews