 First edition | |
| Author | Maeve Binchy |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Ward River Press |
Publication date | 1984 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Preceded by | London Transports (1983) |
| Followed by | Echoes (1985) |
The Lilac Bus is a collection of eight interrelated short stories by the writer Maeve Binchy, first published in 1984. The stories were republished by Delacorte Press in 1991 together with the earlier 4-story collection, Dublin 4, under the title The Lilac Bus: Stories.
Set in the 1960s and 1970s,[1] the book follows a group of seven people from the fictional village of Rathdoon in West Ireland, who all live in Dublin and return home each weekend on a lilac-colored minibus.[2] Each chapter focuses on a different character, with events described in a previous chapter making their reappearance with new repercussions.[2]
The book explores how 20th-century characters with strong Roman Catholic values cope with problems such as alcoholism, homosexuality, unwanted pregnancy, infidelity, drug use, divorce, birth control, and abortion.[2]
The book was made into a television movie in 1990, directed by Giles Foster and starring Con O'Neill, Stephanie Beacham, and Beatie Edney.[3]