The Author is Maeve Binchy. She is a teacher and a journalist.

Her books about

the lives of ordinary people, they are concentrated on everyday life. Plot of her
work is fool of joy and sadness, gossip etc. It is fool of life and emotions. This
story isn’t exception.
The title of this story doesn’t contain special meaning, which will help to predict
the events of the story.
Binchy described to us how Helen’s life was ruined in a moment. All her dreams
and hopes wouldn’t come true, because she lost her family: her husband. She was
betrayed by a person, whom she fall in love many years ago. Of course she wanted
revenge, as she was devoted to him, and was waiting when he will be ready for
children and always thought about his feelings. And one day she find out that her
husband didn’t love her anymore, he fall in love with another young woman and
want to have children with that woman and Helen stayed alone. Situation is awful,
but another protagonist – Mrs. Kennedy helped her to understand that revenge,
cunning, mind are useful things. It was her chance to start new life, to correct
mistakes of the past and feel the joy of life one more time. The way is forgive,
forget, fall in love one more time and start new life. The Climax was when Helen
made a first step to new life: idea of having garden party. And in that moment we
understand the meaning of the title: “Garden party” is a symbol of new life,
forgiveness, felling of life’s joy.
Theme of the story sounds so: To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some
meaning in the suffering and become stronger. I consider that as we live only once,
it is silly to waste your time on something that has already gone. It is never late to
open new page… just do it.
The author uses everyday language as it is about common life, common problems.
Life after divorce of Mrs. Kennedy contrast with Helen’s. But with the help of
Mrs. Kennedy who understood in time that revenge wouldn’t give her chance for a
new life, Helen managed tope with her tears.
All in all, I think that it is worth reading. I highly recommend it to others, as such
stories show us that fresh start is a way of recovering.