Light a Penny Candle is a novel by Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy is an Irish novelist, newspaper columnist and speaker. Educated at University College Dublin, she worked as a teacher then a journalist at The Irish Times and later became a writer of novels and short stories.Many of her novels are set in Ireland, dealing with the tensions between...

which follows two girls growing up in the aftermath of World War II.
London was a very dangerous place to live during World War II. Because of this, children were evacuated to Ireland or the United States. Only child Elizabeth White is sent to live with the large and bustling O'Connor family in Ireland.

Quickly, Elizabeth becomes fast friends with Aisling, who is the same age.