From My Bookshelf

Just finished Maeve Binchy's newest book, MINDING FRANKIE. If you've read any of her previous books, this will seem like a continuation of many of them. Characters from previous works make appearances in this one. This is the story of Noel, a young alcoholic, who discovers he's about to become a father to a baby he cannot even remember helping create.

Worse, the mother is dying and wants him to take the baby. Noel steps up and takes responsibility by joining AA, starting university classes, moving out of his parents home to a place of his own, and taking the baby. But, there's much more story here of the "village it takes" to mind baby Frankie. This is a heart warming novel about caring people and family. My one complaint here is that Binchy writes as though you've just put down her previous novel. Characters from previous novels enter with no back story. I have read some of her previous novels, but it's been awhile. So remembering who is who and threads from previous books can be difficult.

If you haven't read Binchy before, here are two I strongly recommend:

Please remember my Give Away,

celebrating my first year of blogging.

The drawing for your choice of a Tag Along Bag from my Etsy Shop

will be on Friday, April 13. I'm trying to increase followers for Buttermilk Cottage's Facebook Fan Page. So, you need to "like" it, right here on my sidebar, and leave me a note you've done so!
Details are here.