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3.5***

From the book jacket: Is it possible to tell the story of a generation and a city through the history of a restaurant? Ella Brady thinks so. She wants to film a documentary about Quentins that will capture the spirit of Dublin from the 1970s to the present day. After all, the restaurant � has a thousand stories to tell: tales of love, and betrayal, of revenge; of times when it looked ready for success and of times when it seemed as if it must close in failure.

My reactions
I came late to the Binchy fan club, but better late than never. I really like her style of every-day drama � the kinds of ups and downs we all experience in life. Reading a Binchy novel is a bit like visiting with old friends. Many of her books feature the same ensemble cast of characters, but they don’t have to be read in any particular order.

In this story Ella Brady takes the central role, supported by Brenda and Patrick who run Quentins, her best friend Deirdre, her parents Tom and Barbara, and filmmakers Nick and Sandy. I loved Maude and Simon, who’s grandparents hire Ella to tutor them in math; every scene they are in made me chuckle.

The main plot focuses on Ella and her lover, Don Richardson � a snake if ever there was one. I confess that I was very frustrated with Ella and wanted to slap her silly more than once. Deirdre was the epitome of a supportive friend, never judging or chastising, but simply being there for Ella through all her bad choices and delusional thinking re this “great love.� Made me doubly glad for the many other stories being highlighted for inclusion in the documentary, which gave me a break from this relationship.

I definitely got the feeling of being in Dublin during this period: the economic struggles which led many Irish to seek employment elsewhere, or had them working multiple small jobs to make ends meet.