Old Favorites: “Evening Class” by Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy’s Evening Class is everything an ensemble novel should be, full of great characters and connecting stories. In all of Binchy’s novels, we often see our characters facing crossroads, whether that’s a big life change, relationship problems, or coming to quiet, personal realizations.  Evening Class has so many of those moments, with that signature Binchy warmth, as we discover all these interconnected relationships around an evening class in Italian. As an adult-ed teacher, I particularly love this warm and magical story about how an evening class changes everyone’s life for the better. 

An adult-ed Italian class at the local school brings a diverse group of strangers together, each with their own reasons for taking the class  (including one student who needs a cover story for crime) and their own struggles outside of class. Binchy’s amazing character development brings every member of the class to life, so readers are invested in each of their story arcs. Some of them have huge dramas, like a teenage girl discovering who her real parents are, a middle-aged Latin teacher discovering his wife has been cheating, or a young couple falling in love. There’s a warmth and liveliness in all the small choices, too.

As their Italian class progresses, we see the characters’ lives outside the classroom. We also see how the unusual Italian teacher, Signora, shares her enthusiasm for the language, and for education in general. This theme highlights how education can be about acquiring knowledge and new skills, but it’s also about personal discovery. Real education is not confined to the classroom or defined by grades, and here we see how the language skills, Italian culture, new activities, or just the practice of being a student helps each student on their personal path. It’s not a message book at all, but as a teacher and a lifelong learner in general, this theme resonated with me.

The storytelling is uplifting and warm overall. While there are definitely romantic storylines, told with the wonderful warmth found in all her stories, it’s not the central focus of the book. Some of the most moving moments are between parents and children, especially as adult children come to understand their parents better.

Overall, Evening Class is one of my favorite Maeve Binchy novels, and that’s high praise. It’s a wide cast of characters and a varied collection of story arcs, all with that amazing Binchy warmth.