A society hostess entertains her husband's mistress to dinner; a country girl savours the delights of city life; a student faces the dilemma of unmarried pregnancy; and a drink-ridden photographer tries to relaunch his shattered career. A vintage collection of four stories set in the heart of Dublin's fashionable Southside, Dublin 4 has all of the author's intimate grasp of human feelings, and her marvellous ear for dialogue.

Through 20 years of friendship, Aisling and Elizabeth's paths will cross and re-cross. As they face their loves, their marriages, and their disappointments, they realise that not all problems will be solved, nor all wishes granted by lighting a penny candle.

A delectable collection of 22 short stories centred around people travelling on the London Underground. We meet a young couple travelling nervously to Seven Sisters for their first wife-swapping party; there's Annie's Pimlico Hotel, which is only open for specially-chosen guests; Rita, the mysterious temp, who lives in Notting Hill Gate; and Sophie, who runs a handbag shop at Marble Arch. All the stories have in common Maeve Binchy's delicious humour and warmth.

Every Friday night Tom Fitzgerald's lilac-coloured minibus is a meeting place for the same cast of seven, who use it to travel home from Dublin to spend the weekend in Rathdoon. Disparate characters, who embark at an anonymous pick-up point, each one has an inner life unknown to his or her fellow passengers.... These eight short stories, all linked by the common theme of the lilac bus, are woven together by the warmth and compassion that typifies Maeve Binchy's writing.

Two very different children dream of escape from the Irish seaside town of Castlebay. Their paths are destined to cross in this drama of love, ambition and betrayal.

In Mountfern, life meanders as slowly as the river running through it. The pace has hardly changed since the great house burned down in the Troubles and its shell became an ivy-clad playground for the local children.

A unique family occasion is looming for the O'Hagans. Desmond and Deirdre will have been married for twenty-five years in October. Naturally there must be a celebration. But who is going to arrange it, and will the right people come? It is unthinkable not to have a party, but do Desmond and Deirdre O'Hagan really want one?

Big, soft-featured Benny, an adored only child, and Eve, the poor, birdlike orphan brought up by nuns, are best friends in the small Irish town of Knockglen. On their first day at University College, Dublin, a fatal road accident brings the pair together with fellow students Nan Mahon and Jack Foley, and new friendships are quickly struck. Jack and Nan introduce Eve and Benny to a life of excitement and sophistication. But beneath their carefree existence trouble is brewing for the circle of friends.

Eight children once carved their names on the trunk of the great copper beech which shaded the schoolhouse in Shancarrig. Now those children are grown. For each one, Shancarrig holds special memories.

The people who come to Mountainview every Tuesday and Thursday, for the evening class in Italian, are from every walk of life. By the time they are ready to set out on a journey to Italy, their lives have changed dramatically.

This Year It Will be Different brings us the magic and spirit of Christmas in 15 stories filled with Maeve Binchy's trademark wit, charm, and sheer storytelling genius. Instead of nostalgia, Binchy evokes contemporary life; instead of Christmas homilies, she offers truth; and instead of sugarplums, she brings us the nourishment of holidays that precipitate change, growth, and new beginnings.

In this extraordinary collection of stories, the world-wide best-selling author of Evening Class once again reveals her incomparable understanding of matters of the heart. In The Return Journey, Maeve Binchy creates powerful compelling stories of love, loss, revelation, and reconciliation.

Here is a great gift of wisdom and humour for anyone coping with actual aches and pains. Based on the author's own experience as a hip-replacement patient, she provides funny insider advice about coping with the ordeals of surgery, a hospital stay, and at-home convalescence.

Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather have decided to create the best catering company in Dublin. They have the perfect premises, heaps of talent, and even a few contacts - but not everyone seems as pleased by the idea of 'Scarlet Feather' as they are. Tom's parents are disappointed that he has turned his back on the family business. Cathy's husband buries himself in work, becoming ever more distant, whilst his mother thinks Cathy should stay at home to look after him.

Maeve Binchy delivers a timely and topical tale on the fickle nature of docu-soaps in Quentin's. In an age in which everyday people are becoming overnight celebrities via the medium of television, Ella Brady is a documentary film-maker who wants to bring the tale of the eponymous Dublin restaurant to the screen. Quentin's has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years and has become the meeting point for a lot of characters, including some familiar faces from previous Binchy novels.

Four strangers meet in a Greek taverna in the small village of Aghia Anna. They have each left their homes and their old lives, when a shocking tragedy throws them unexpectedly together.

Ireland is neither cursed with snakes, nor blessed with nightingales, and the characters in Maeve Binchy's fiction occupy the same middle ground. These five stories, specially dramatised for BBC Radio 4, feature modern Irishwomen emerging from a culture where they knew their place into a more hazardous, but more rewarding, light.

Clara Casey, senior cardiologist and mother of two, already has a new job to cope with - and now her ex-husband wants something from her too... For Ania, meeting Clara Casey is a miracle. She never intended to leave Poland, but hopes a new job in a new country will mend her broken heart. Declan is looking forward to joining the clinic - but what should have been a straightforward six-month posting turns into much more.

"The Garden Party", read by Niamh Cusack - Helen looked down at Mrs Kennedy's garden. It was cheerfully coloured yet ordered like Mrs Kennedy. But first impressions are not always reliable. "The Special Sale", read by Dervla Kirwan - Yvonne's good deed leads to a romantic encounter the day after Christmas. "The Sensible Celebration", read by Doreen Hepburn - Are the picture perfect couple really the ones to envy? All is not as it seems...

In 'Homecoming', read by Sean Campion, the Brennans run Quentin's restaurant in Dublin for the owner, who lives abroad. But what will happen when he suddenly pays a visit? 'Telling Stories', read by Joanna Myers, sees Irene's fiancé turning up the night before the wedding with a face as white as the dress that is to be worn the next day. Then trouble starts....

Baby Frankie is born into an unusual family. Her mother is desperate to find someone to take care of her child, and she doesn't have much time. Noel doesn't seem to be the most promising of fathers but despite everything, he could well be Frankie's best hope. As for Lisa, she is prepared to give up everything for the man she loves; surely he's going to love her back? And Moira is having none of it. She knows what's right, and has the power to change the course of Frankie's life.

Dee loves her children very much, but now they are all grown up, shouldn't they leave home? Rosie moved out when she got married, but it didn't work out, so now she is back with her parents. Helen is a teacher, and doesn't earn enough for a place of her own. Anthony writes songs, and is just waiting for the day when someone will pay him for them. Until then, all three are happy at home. It doesn't cost them anything, and surely their parents like having a full house?