The Tavern on Maple Street
Ah, there's nothing like a quiet pub to soothe a man's soul, and the ramshackle old tavern tucked away at the end of Belfast's historic Maple Street is a tranquil haven, not only for its loyal regulars, but also for proprietors Jack and Lily Beaumont. But when a real-estate developer announces plans to raze the pub's neighborhood and put up a shopping mall, Jack and Lily realize they have only a few months left to make their business as profitable as they can before their way of life is destroyed. When Lily hires four young lasses to serve as bartenders (and magnets for eager young male customers), their life turns upside down. Creating a microcosm of Irish society within quirky Belfast neighborhoods is Owens' stock-in-trade (her previous novels includeThe Ballroom on Magnolia Street, 2005), and the denizens of Maple Street represent her most charming creations yet. Owens clearly knows, and loves, this city and these people.Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved