Nights of Rain and Stars
Nights of Rain and Stars is a 2004 novel by the Irish author Maeve Binchy. Plot. In a small town in Greece, a group of people witness a boating accident and subsequently become tangled in each other's lives. Thomas is a California university professor escaping from a tense relationship with his remarried ex-wife and their son, whom he adores. Elsa, the beautiful German blonde, resigned from her successful television job to escape her ex-boyfriend, whom she still loves. Irish Fiona couldn't stand her family and friends' resentful attitudes towards her boyfriend , Shane, so she and Shane escaped to peaceful Greece. David, a kind Englishman, doesn't want to take over his father's business as his family expects him to, and instead decides to travel. These strangers meet in a tavern in peaceful Aghia Anna underneath the stars, and soon they become close friends. Vonni, a native who escaped her family in Ireland many years ago, becomes involved in all their lives and together they form bonds and discover things about each other and themselves that they never could have anticipated. Reception. "Publishers Weekly" wrote, "The setup is flimsy, and the  bonds the characters develop are too slender to provide much emotional texture, but Binchy's fans will enjoy this summery page-turner." Donna Meadow wrote for "Woman's Day", "The plot is somewhat contrived but Binchy is a good storyteller. It's a good beach read (i.e., not complicated) and certainly put me in the mood to visit Greece."