FEATURES
Tara Road Takes Readers on an Emotional Journey
By Paula Marinak
Capital Times Staff Writer
“I write about what I know
best,” said Irish author Maeve
Binchy in a March 1991 interview
with People Weekly magazine.
In her tenth novel, Tara Road,
Binchy once again proves her
intimate understanding of the
complexities of relationships and
the deepest recesses of the heart.
From the opening pages of
this dramatic work of fiction,
readers will feel as if they have
plunged headlong into an Irish
version of “Days of Our Lives”.
This novel tells the story of a
group of neighbors, each with
their own secret, whose separate
lives are always intertwined.
Binchy weaves an intricate nar
rative tapestry that demonstrates
how quickly life can unravel if
just one thread is pulled.
The author blends romance
and the hope for a secure, happy
future with liberal doses of
anger, jealousy, betrayal and sad
ness that, at times, pierces even
the most cynical reader’s heart.
She even adds a dash of com
edy to create the perfect book to
enjoy on a lazy day at the beach.
At the heart of the story are
Danny Lynch and his wife Ria, a
young couple from humble
beginnings who move to the
newest section of Dublin to
begin their dream life together.
Life in the Lynch household
resembles scenes from any fami
ly sitcom of the 19605. Danny
works as a partner in one of the
city’s largest real estate firms; his
moneymaking ability would
spark King Midas’ envy..
Ria pours all her energy into
playing the perfect wife, mother
and hostess. She provides an
idyllic home life for her husband
and two children and she con
stantly entertains in their stately
Victorian home, which Ria’s
mother affectionately dubs
Ireland’s answer to Grand
Central Station.
But Binchy adds many mod
em twists to this seemingly rosy
portrait of familial bliss.
Fourteen years after their vows,
Danny delivers a shocking
announcement which derails
Ria’s fairy tale vision of living
happily ever after with her Prince
Charming.
Binchy skillfully draws her
audience into the saga that
unfolds as Ria tries to rebuild her
shattered life. She has created a
protagonist in which her audi
ence can see traces of their moth
er, sister, best friend or even
themselves.
Readers will want to enfold
Ria in a comforting hug one
moment and scream in frustra
tion the next when she doesn’t
kick Danny to the curb like the
dog he is.
The author shows her creative
talent with her equally engaging
cast of supporting characters.
Ria’s husband conceals a darker
side beneath his Ken-doll good
looks and sophisticated movie
star manners. He treats women
as though he were starving and
they were a free Happy Meal.
Rosemary Ryan is an astute
business woman whose skill at
closing deals makes her a winner
in and out of the boardroom. The
complete antithesis of her warm
hearted yet naive best friend, she
uses her position as Ria’s closest
confidante to commit the ultimate
betrayal of their relationship.
People will recognize traces
of their mysterious next door
neighbor in Colm Barry, a hand
some, reserved man who wages a
daily war with his own private
demons.
He struggles to overcome his
battles with alcoholism and
money to gain some respect as a
PSH Society
News
Office of Continuing
Education Staff Assistant
Suzanne F. Stoner was recog
nized by the International
Association of Administrative
Professionals for earning her
professional secretarial certifi
cation.
She completed an eight
month course of study and
demonstrated knowledge and
competency in financial and
business law, office systems
and administration and man
agement.
Dr. Richard Ammon, pro
fessor of education, was
appointed by the National
Council of Teachers of English
to its Standing committee
against censorship.
The standing committee
keeps teachers and the media
informed about censorship as it
affects teachers and about strate
gies for dealing with censorship
of school materials.
successful restaurant owner. At
the same time, he vows to protect
his sister from a destructive,
loveless marriage to a husband
who continually feeds her dan
gerous addiction.
The Lynches children star in
some of this novel’s most memo
rable and poignant moments.
Nine-year old Brian is honest,
often to the point of embarrass
ment, about the people he meets
and the conflicting emotions he
feels as he struggles to under
stand his parents’ problems.
With Brian’s sister Annie,
who has just turned 14, Binchy
displays her awareness of adoles
cent turmoil and its effect on
the parent-child relationship.
Beneath the mask of a typical
teen who fights with her mother
about clothes, hair, and boys is a
young girl crying out for her par
ents to give her the love and sup
port their marriage lacks.
Ria’s salvation comes from a
most unlikely source. On the
same day that her life is circling
the drain, she receives a tele
phone call from Marilyn Vine.
Ria can tell from the caller’s
voice that she, too, seeks refuge
from the ghost which haunts her.
These two women, separated
Wilco
By Daniel McClure
Capital Times Staff Writer
When I was told that Wilco
was coming to the Trocadero in
Philadelphia on Nov. 19,1 had to
rethink my disdain for the “City
of Brotherly Love.”
Wilco defies categorization
because of their ever-changing
musical style. Their lead singer,
Jeff Tweedy, who along with Son
Volt founder, Jay Farrar, used to
play together as Uncle Tupelo.
Since the dissolution of Uncle
Tupelo, Tweedy started Wilco
and has played country, folk,
rock, and now currently studio
tweaked pop music.
The opening band, the Old
97’s, hail from Texas and play
what could ironically be called
alternative country. But, more or
less they play good rock music
that keeps the songs catchy and
around three-minutes long.
They instantly earned points
when they said they were going to
start early so they could play
longer.
The majority of the songs
played were from their latest
by an ocean but united by com
mon grief, agree to exchange
homes for the summer.
What begins as a shared desire
to escape the difficulties that
have plagued their lives turns
into a journey of self-discovery.
As Ria settles into Marilyn’s
home in Stoneyfield, a mere pin
prick on the map of Connecticut,
she gradually blossoms into a
more self-assured woman who
learns that, in order to win the
love, admiration, and respect of
others, she must first develop
these qualities within herself.
During her stay at the sprawl
ing Dublin mansion where she is
surrounded by a supportive net
work of Ria’s friends and family,
Marilyn dismantles the wall sur
rounding her heart and shares the
grief that has nearly destroyed
her and her marriage.
Though they only meet by
chance during the waning days
of their visits, each woman has
discovered secrets about the
other that allow them to forge a
lasting bond.
Binchy’s latest work displays
the same sensitive, yet realistic,
treatment of emotions as in her
most well-known novel, Circle
of Friends. It also expresses the
Rocks the Troc
album, Fight Songs. A highlight
was one of the tracks from that
album called “Murder (or a Heart
Attack).”
Besides playing infectious
songs, the Old 97’s also showed
enthusiasm for playing good rock
music and putting on a good
show.
Wilco opened with the brood
ing “Via Chicago” from their lat
est LP, summerteeth, but showed
their musical variety by playing
many songs from all three of their
albums.
They also picked a few songs
from the album Mermaid Avenue,
a collection of unreleased Woody
Guthrie songs that features both
Wilco and British troubadour
Billy Bragg.
Another highlight was a very
forceful “misunderstood” from
Being There. During the powerful
end of the song, Tweedy seemed
to knock the microphone stand
over just by sheer force of pres
ence.
As a part of their first encore
(they did two), Wilco played
“Casino Queen,” from their debut
same spirit of courage and
resilience as Wally Lamb’s She's
Come Undone.
However, she misses some
opportunities with character
development. The most obvious
examples are Nora Johnson, a
stereotypically meddlesome but
well-intentioned mother-in-law,
and Mrs. Connor, the leader of a
misfit band of fortune tellers
whose predictions never miss
their mark.
The novel’s title represents a
street of dreams for each of the
people who inhabit the homes
that line it.
Readers who travel here will
see how closely this fictional
world reflects reality. Just like
real people, this book’s charac
ters cling to their own dreams.
Some, like Humpty Dumpty,
have broken and may take a life
time to repair. Others simply
await the right time for their
birth.
The journey down Tara Road
is often rocky and filled with
unexpected twists, but first-time
readers and faithful Binchy fol
lowers will find themselves hop
ing for a return trip.
album A.M. This showed off the
rest of the very talented band by
taking a rousing rock song that
was about three minutes long and
turning it into a 10-minute s**t
kicking party.
As a part of a highly satisfied
audience, I left the Trocadero that
night extremely happy to be a part
of a phenomenal show by two
great bands that have a sincere
love for rock music, and especial
ly for its roots in country and
blues.
As one of the few bands that
could get me to drive to
Philadelphia, Wilco left me think
ing that I had just seen the great
st perform if my lift