An old copper beech overlooks a school, and witnesses all the hopes and loves, dreams and ambitions of the children who grew up there...

'Her storytelling ability is second to none' Mail on Sunday

'Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller' New York Times

An old copper beech overlooks a school, and witnesses all the hopes and loves, dreams and ambitions of the children who grew up there...

Shancarrig School stands in the shade of a glorious old copper beech whose colours tell the passing of the seasons and the years: a tree that has watched over many lives.

The school mistress keeps a careful eye on the children, each of whom have their own hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future. As the children grow up, and become parents themselves, their stories are entwined in this gloriously nostalgic novel from the No.1 bestselling author.

"Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller" - NEW YORK TIMES

"You want to read Maeve Binchy's books as fast as she seems to have written them. This one fairly gallops along because her apparently spontaneous and casual manner covers masterly plotting ... It is all very satisfactory" - INDEPENDENT

"THE COPPER BEECH is as soothing as a cup of tea" - PEOPLE

"Binchy makes you laugh, cry, and care. Her warmth and sympathy render the daily struggles of ordinary people heroic and turn storytelling into art" - SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"Maeve Binchy's marvellous portrait of a small Irish town whose untroubled surface conceals the passions, rivalries, friendships, ambitions and jealousies beneath" - LOVE READING

"Binchy is a consummate storyteller who involves the reader in the world she creates ... Binchy is a Dickens: she writes about the dilemmas of human beings with a backdrop which describes the manners and morals of a society ... the Binchy public will not be disappointed at story line or resolution" - IRISH TIMES

"Binchy ... is a class act" - DAILY EXPRESS

"Maeve Binchy's novels are just the kind of comforting companions so many women can't wait to take to bed. ...Binchy's prose flows as naturally as conversation with a good friend" - THE LADY

"Maeve Binchy's work continues to inspire ... thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure" - WOMAN

"This is Binchy at her very best, telling stories with charm, humour and pathos and giving us one of the most stunning feel-good endings I can remember" - MAIL ON SUNDAY