When Elizabeth’s mother decided to send her away, out of the country, to a distant “aunt” she had never met, she was torn. She understood her mother was doing it to keep her safe – the German’s were bombing London and she would be safer in Ireland. But these were people she’d only heard of in letters and old tales of her mother’s school days. They weren’t even family! But over the next few years, Elizabeth would form a lifelong friendship with the family’s daughter Aisling that would prove to be invaluable even after the war ended. While marriage and careers threatened to pull them apart, the girls find a way to keep hope alive and pull themselves together.
Released in 1982, Light a Penny Candle was Maeve Binchy’s debut novel after a storied career as a journalist. While not all of her works were historical fiction, this novel transports readers to London and Ireland during World War II and the post-war era. Reflecting on struggles many women faced during the time period, including difficulty finding partners as well as partners with substance abuse issues, this novel explores the hope and resiliency needed to survive the hardships. Binchy would go on to be known for her exploration of family and friendships throughout her novels, with this debut being no different.
I give Light a Penny Candle 4 out of 5 stars. I read both this and The Secret Book of Flora Lea the same week – both feature the need to move children out of London to avoid the bombing, but to different areas. This was the first time I have read about moving children to Ireland and found that an interesting inclusion. I also found the discussion around premarital sex and open relationships interesting. My generation has always been made to feel that our parents’ generation was very different from this and found it surprising. I did find aspects of the ending a little too dark for my tastes, but enjoyed this book like I have other works by Binchy!
With themes of alcoholism and spousal abuse, this book may not be well suited for all audiences. With discussions of sexual encounters, I would direct this to more mature audiences over 16 as well. However, if you’ve enjoyed Binchy’s more well-known works from her later career like Tara Road or Quentin’s, I think you’ll enjoy this, too
I chose Light a Penny Candle for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “written the year you were born”, but this would also be a great choice for the Saint Patrick’s Day prompt this month since it is partially set in Ireland or next week’s prompt – by a female author. What book are you reading this week?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Postmistress, Sarah Blake
- Current audio book: Austen at Sea, Natalie Jenner
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Deep End, Ali Hazelwood
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