SOURCE: “Maeve Binchy,” in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 239, No. 47, October 26, 1992, pp. 42, 44.

In the following interview, Binchy discusses her childhood in Ireland, her publishing history, and her writing style.

“Maeve's already here,” says the desk clerk at Arbutus Lodge in Cork City, where PW is meeting Ireland's bestselling and most beloved living author. Maeve Binchy has driven down from Dublin this morning, and as we introduce ourselves she explains with an infectious laugh that she's early since she allowed extra time, “because I'm a terrible driver. I only got my license four years ago, if you can imagine that. Most people won't admit to being bad drivers—they would sooner tell you they're bad in bed!”

Binchy in the flesh (of which there is an ample amount on her six-foot frame) is a beguiling and irrepressible storyteller. Her focus is acute and her smile is genuine. Conversation is an enthusiastic...