Maeve Binchy is a whizz at creating characters and dramatic scenes. However this book went on too long. I loved the beginning but by the end, I wanted it to end sooner.

Helen McMahon lives in a small town with her husband, Martin, her young daughter, Kit, and her son who has a stutter. Kit is the star of the book, she loves her mother so much and defends her from her best friend and the town gossips.

Revelations come later as she and Martin discuss her previous love and he wants to marry her despite that he knows that she still yearns for Louis.

Helen, Kit’s mother goes for long walks at night and always stays to herself. Then she disappears, Martin’s boat is found adrift and the town thinks that she took the boat to drown herself.

I loved Kit and her brother and Martin was set in his ways but devoted but later on, the story shifts to England with big surprises.

This is a mother-daughter story the most of all. But prepared for a very long read. ( )

"The Glass Lake" by Maeve Binchy is the first novel that I have read by this author, and what a novel it was! At first, I was a bit taken aback by the 757 pages. My thought, will a novel that has this many pages hold my interest? Ms. Binchy has a magical touch with her writing style. The plot, characters, and settings of "The Glass Lake" held my attention from the first page to the last. The plot kept moving along, not once did I skim pages due to boring dialogue and/or a stand still plot. Even though this is a fictional novel, I loved that the characters were believable. If you are looking for an entertaining, well written novel, I would definitely recommend adding this amazing story to your tbr list. I'm looking forward to reading additional novels by this wonderful author! ( )

3.5 stars ( )

Set in the early1950s and extending over approximately 10 years, this book begins when Mary Katherine McMahon (Kit) is 12 years old and brother Emmet is 9. She is best friends with Clio Kelly, but their relationship is volatile. She lives in a very small town, Lough Glass in Ireland, where everyone knows everyone else. Her life is followed for about 10 years from the time her mother Helen McMahon disappears and is thought to have drowned. One day Kit receives a letter from Lena Gray, Louis Gray's wife from London who claims to be a very good friend of her deceased mother when they were growing up. An informative correspondence ensues with correspondence being sent via Sister Madeleine, a recluse nun. Other characters include Phillip O'Brien, son of the hotel keepers; Anna Kelly, Clio's sister; Mauve and Martin McMahon, Kit's step-mother and father who is the town's pharmacist; Peter and Lilian Kelly, Clio and Anna's parents and the town's doctor; Stevie Sullivan, a young car repair and new car broker who took over for his father when the father died of too much alcohol; and Ivy Brown, Lena Gray's friend in London. The book also advocates for independent women in a men's world at that time. ( )

Wayyyy too long. I feel the story could have been cut in half and still been fine. I didn't care for Lena's spinelessness--she finally gets a backbone a bit late.... Characters are a bit too cookie cutter as well. ( )