The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy is a rich, absorbing family drama set in the close-knit Irish town of Lough Glass. Known for her evocative storytelling and deeply human characters, Binchy paints a vivid picture of small-town life in 1950s Ireland — a place where traditions run deep, gossip spreads fast, and lives are quietly shaped by the expectations of the community. This standalone novel captures the joys, secrets, and heartbreaks of one family whose world is upended by tragedy.
To outsiders, young Kit McMahon seems to have an idyllic life: a loving father, a strikingly beautiful mother, and a peaceful existence in a town where everyone knows everyone else. But beneath the surface, tensions stir. Kit’s mother, Helen, restless and ill at ease in provincial Lough Glass, vanishes one stormy night, leaving behind only questions and whispered rumours. Presumed drowned in the glassy waters of the local lake, her disappearance sets in motion a series of events that will forever alter the lives of those she left behind — especially her daughter, who must navigate grief, scandal, and unexpected revelations as she grows to adulthood.
