Dusty's Winter by Maeve Binchy

Dusty's Winter Reviews

• 
  Marianne

  Dusty’s Winter is a short story by award-winning, best-selling Irish author, Maeve Binchy. Born eight years after her brothers, Dusty’s upbringing lacks some of the attention they were given, yet she develops into a loving, caring child. When her parents reject their son’s illegitimate daughter, Dusty seeks her and her mother out, becoming a friend to both. When her brother abrogates his responsibilities, Dusty remains supportive.
  When she wants to leave home to get some training, she ensures her parents have company and a bit of extra income. She is loved and trusted, and her initiative and personality help to advance her career. Her only misstep is falling in love with a married colleague. But when that falls apart, she keeps her head. And when those not-the-best parents face a real challenge, she is there for them. And the winter she spends tending to their needs turns her life in a new direction.
  Long or short, you can’t go wrong with a Maeve Binchy story, and this one proves that in spades. Her talent was taking the stuff of everyday life and turning it into inspiring and down-to-earth stories. While this story has been published as a Vintage Short, if your library has a copy of Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club, you can find this, and several other short stories, there. Guaranteed feel-good.
  
• 
  Obsidian

  January 22, 2022 review:
  
  I really enjoyed this re-read. I would now honestly give this a 5 now. I was just in the mood for a simple short story. I do miss Maeve Binchy's writing.
  
  Original review:
  
  I gave this short story 4.5 stars. Since Goodreads does not have half stars, I rounded this up to 5 stars on this site.
  
  I can't believe how much oompf Binchy managed to pack in just 38 pages. I honestly can't believe this story was that short.
  
  We find ourselves immersed in the story of Dusty and her family. The story centers on Dusty as a child and follows her until she is 27 years of age. Dusty's family is not big on displays of affection or being up front about all things. The youngest child in a family where her two older brothers were already well on their way to adulthood sets her apart from her family. I'm not going to lie though, at times I didn't like the character of Dusty. What I did enjoy reading though is that she in the end realizes her judgments about certain things was not correct.
  
  The writing was top-notch though I thought it was a little bit funny this book was taking place during the 1980s for the most part in Ireland. It would have been great to have this story look back at Dusty when she was an older woman and thinking on how she was raised, and how she changed through the years.
  
  The flow at times I thought was a little bit off. I think it was because I could feel at times Binchy wanting to elaborate more on a subject. There are odd places like that in the book here and there. Binchy chooses what to add more details in some odd places, but not in places I would have wished to see more detail about if that makes sense.
• 
  Santhi

  Enjoyed it better than I had expected...
• 
  Cathy

  Another short story by Maeve Binchy offered by Kindle. I have enjoyed all three stories that are available, so now I have gotten three of her books full of short stories. Sometimes I need a quick fun read in between some of my heavier books. I hope these fill the bill.
• 
  Hannie

  Een leuk kort verhaal van Maeve Binchy. Echt een verhaal om vrolijk van te worden. Ook krijg je meteen weer die sfeer die zo kenmerkend is voor Maeve Binchy. De lengte vond ik ook wel goed. Niet zo kort dat je het binnen een minuut of tien uit hebt. Bovendien sprak de hoofdpersoon me wel aan, omdat ze kordaat en behulpzaam overkomt.
• 
  Nancy Silk

  "Great Story"
  
  Maeve Binchy was an amazing author. Her short stories are always very well written and I plan on reading them all. There's always something to learn from the characters in her stories which are always thought provoking.
• 
  Ayshim

  I have always loved Maeve Binchy's warm and generous prose and Dusty's Winter is no exception.
• 
  Lisa

  Dusty is an independent woman who has plans that don't coincide with what her family thinks. I enjoyed it, yet I didn't feel that connected with her.
• 
  Kabrina

  An entire life in less than 100 pages. I'm starting to adore Maeve Binchy.
• 
  Marcia Silva

  Quick read with interesting main character.
  
  A one hour book that is about a strong pragmatic woman who realizes more r e th a n the average person about life.
• 
  Nancy M Sanders

  Great short story
  
  Dusty's winter was a great short story about a child growing in to a caring young woman. Learning about life by living it .