- THIS YEAR IT WILL BE DIFFERENT AND OTHER STORIES. Filled with Maeve Binchy"s trademark wit and true storytelling genious, THIS YEAR IT WILL BE DIFFERENT powerfully evokes the lives of wives, husbands, children, friends and lovers, all set during the one holiday when feelings cannot easily be hidden. There are step-families grappling with exes; long-married couples faced with in-law problems; a wandering husband choosing between the other woman and his wife; a child caught up in a grown-up tug-of-war... The festive season may be magical, but it can also be a time of family difficulties, a time to reflect on relationships; a time of change.