梅芙·賓奇（Maeve Binchy）生於都柏林，獲都柏林大學曆史學位。先在幾所女子學校任教，後進入《愛爾蘭時報》供職，開始撰寫專欄。自1982年她的長篇小說處女作《點燃希望的燭火》齣版以來，梅芙·賓奇已經齣版瞭近二十部長篇小說和短篇小說集，每一本都成為英語世界人人爭讀的暢銷書，她遂成為整個英語世界最受追捧的頂級暢銷書女王。1999年，作為愛爾蘭國寶級暢銷書作傢的她榮獲英國圖書奬的終身成就奬。

The town of Rossmore is a special place, full of character charm. Nestled beside the Whitethorn Woods, the town has grown since the days when it was small and friendly and everyone knew everyone else; now it has chain stories and traffic problems and housing estates. But still, there are the woods, full of spiky bushes and criss-crossed with paths; and there's St Ann's Well, where generations have come to pray or make wishes or just to look back at the pretty little town. Which is why there is going to be such a fuss about the plans for the new motorway. It's going to by-pass Rossmore, cutting through Whitethorn Woods and endangering the well itself. The new road will bring jobs and relieve traffic in the town; for others, it will destroy businesses and leave the town a backwater. The people of Rossmore are divided. There is a lot of land standing in the way of the great road of progress. Quite by accident the decision rests on Neddy Nolan - the most honest man in Rossmore. A man determined to do the right thing.