Evening Class (novel) a Dickensian way, they bump into each other and are affected by the decisions of those around them. It is a story of love and deceit, family drama, wealth and poverty, of friendship and courage. Nora O'Donoghue and Aidan Dunne also appear in "Quentins", another novel by Maeve Binchy, and play a more significant role in "Heart and Soul". The novel heavily inspired the plot of the Danish feature film "Italian for Beginners" (2000), which won a Silver Berlin Bear and several other major international awards. Maeve Binchy was not paid, credited nor informed of this, but was later paid
Strike Me Lucky (novel) intending to make it as a co-production in England, but no movie was made. However Jon Cleary did later adapt it into a play in 1969. Strike Me Lucky (novel) Strike Me Lucky is a 1959 novel written by Jon Cleary in collaboration with his wife Joy. The plot concerns an Australian family who discover gold and the effect this has on their small town. Cleary originally wrote it as a short story for the "Saturday Evening Post". Later while the Clearys were living in Spain, Joy was at a loose end and decided to adapt the story into a