It was sold before the novel begins, but Tess still feels nostalgic towards it. They grew up in a crumbling ancestral home with no money to repair it, or even heat it.

The other two main characters are the sisters Tess and Suki. Mara is unconventional, and domesticated, and does what she can to break through Danae’s very private shell.

There are four main characters, all women: Danae’s niece Mara is feeling traumatised by the break-up of what she thought was a long-lasting relationship and decides to visit her aunt rather than her more extraverted family. The novel is in fact a bit more gritty than Binchy’s, and covers some difficult topics. The writing style felt like that of Maeve Binchy, and I knew that this would be a gentle, character-based book set in a community I would love to visit, if only it were real. I couldn’t keep track of all the people she meets in a typical week, but that didn’t matter. Danae herself is a quiet, undemonstrative person, presumably middle-aged. We meet Danae, postmistress of Avalon, and recipient of many secrets. The novel is based in a village in Ireland, and the prologue had me almost mesmerised.

I picked up ‘The House on Willow Street’ to read a few days ago, and have just finished it. So I finally put one of her novels on my list, and was given it for my birthday a few months ago. For perhaps a year or more, Amazon had been recommending that I read books by Cathy Kelly, based on my ratings and the books I had on my wishlist.

Instal the new Lord of Midchester