Circle of Friends vs Light a Penny Candle: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Ireland, Female friendship, Young women, Women, Friendship, Romance
Circle of Friends
More
It began with Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, growing up, inseparable, in the village of Knockglen. Benny--the only child, yearning to break free from her adoring parents...Eve--the orphaned offspring of a convent…
Light a Penny Candle
More
As a child, Elizabeth White was sent from her war-torn London home to a safer life in the small Irish town of Kilgarret. It was there, in the crowded, chaotic O'Connor household, that she met Aisling-who would become…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Light a Penny Candle highest: Light a Penny Candle 4.4 · Circle of Friends 4.1.
- Circle of Friends has the widest readership — 69558 ratings behind its score.
- Circle of Friends reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 43 times.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Circle of Friends | Light a Penny Candle | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (69558) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (43) | 3.8 (12) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 3.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (298) | 4.5 (299) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| Circle of Friends | Light a Penny Candle | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 69558 | 299 |
| Editions | 57 | 48 |
| Citations | 43 | 2 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 28326 | — |
| Reading it now | 2185 | — |
| Written reviews | 2473 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 7279 | 329 |
| Pages | 542 | 600 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Circle of Friends or Light a Penny Candle?
Light a Penny Candle has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Light a Penny Candle 4.4/5, Circle of Friends 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: Circle of Friends or Light a Penny Candle?
Circle of Friends is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Circle of Friends (542 pages, ≈ 10 h 02 m); Light a Penny Candle (600 pages, ≈ 11 h 07 m).
Which is harder to read: Circle of Friends or Light a Penny Candle?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Circle of Friends: Moderate; Light a Penny Candle: Moderate.