
Godmersham Park
A Novel of the Austen Family
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $15.56
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Bessie Carter
-
By:
-
Gill Hornby
About this listen
A richly imagined novel inspired by the true story of Anne Sharp, a governess who became very close with Jane Austen and her family by the #1 International bestselling-author of Miss Austen.
On January 21, 1804, Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to take up the position of governess. At thirty-one years old, she has no previous experience of either teaching or fine country houses. Her mother has died, and she has nowhere else to go. Anne is left with no choice. For her new charge—twelve-year-old Fanny Austen—Anne’s arrival is all novelty and excitement.
The governess role is a uniquely awkward one. Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the “upstairs” and “downstairs” members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant dismissal. Anne knows that she must never let down her guard.
When Mr. Edward Austen’s family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane. They write plays together, and enjoy long discussions. However, in the process, Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty, charming, and competent; she is clever too. Even her sleepy, complacent, mistress can hardly fail to notice.
Meanwhile Jane’s brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess. And from now on, Anne’s days at Godmersham Park are numbered.
©2022 by Gill Hornby (P)2022 by Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Miss Austen
- A Novel of the Austen Sisters
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone and unwed, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her 60s and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold.
-
-
Wonderful
- By RueRue on 06-27-20
By: Gill Hornby
-
Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
-
-
So incredibly boring
- By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23
By: Ann Patchett
-
The Other Bennet Sister
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hadlow
- Narrated by: Carla Mendonça
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.
-
-
Exhausting
- By LAH on 07-10-20
By: Janice Hadlow
-
Pandora
- A Novel
- By: Susan Stokes-Chapman
- Narrated by: Olivia Vinall
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1799. Dora Blake, an aspiring jewelry artist, lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents’ once-famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, her uncle begins to act suspiciously, keeping the vase locked in the store’s basement, away from prying eyes—including Dora’s. Intrigued by her uncle’s peculiar behavior, Dora turns to young, ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help. Edward believes the ancient vase is the key that will unlock his academic future; Dora sees it as a chance to establish her own name.
-
-
Who is giving this 5 stars??
- By Miriam on 09-13-23
-
Terra Nova
- By: Henriette Lazaridis
- Narrated by: Shea Taylor, Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1910, and two Antarctic explorers, Watts and Heywoud, are racing to the South Pole. Back in London, Viola, a photo-journalist, harbors love for them both. In Terra Nova, Henriette Lazaridis seamlessly ushers the listener back and forth between the austere, forbidding, yet intoxicating polar landscape of Antarctica to the bustle of early twentieth century London.
-
-
No Ice Story Like It
- By Cameron Dryden on 01-27-23
-
Jane Austen at Home
- A Biography
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Ruth Redman
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip back to Jane Austen's world and the many places she lived as historian Lucy Worsley visits Austen's childhood home, her schools, her holiday accommodations, the houses - both grand and small - of the relations upon whom she was dependent, and the home she shared with her mother and sister towards the end of her life.
-
-
As a Devoted Janeite - I loved this book!
- By Dorothy on 07-17-17
By: Lucy Worsley
-
Miss Austen
- A Novel of the Austen Sisters
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone and unwed, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her 60s and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold.
-
-
Wonderful
- By RueRue on 06-27-20
By: Gill Hornby
-
Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
-
-
So incredibly boring
- By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23
By: Ann Patchett
-
The Other Bennet Sister
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hadlow
- Narrated by: Carla Mendonça
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.
-
-
Exhausting
- By LAH on 07-10-20
By: Janice Hadlow
-
Pandora
- A Novel
- By: Susan Stokes-Chapman
- Narrated by: Olivia Vinall
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1799. Dora Blake, an aspiring jewelry artist, lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents’ once-famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, her uncle begins to act suspiciously, keeping the vase locked in the store’s basement, away from prying eyes—including Dora’s. Intrigued by her uncle’s peculiar behavior, Dora turns to young, ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help. Edward believes the ancient vase is the key that will unlock his academic future; Dora sees it as a chance to establish her own name.
-
-
Who is giving this 5 stars??
- By Miriam on 09-13-23
-
Terra Nova
- By: Henriette Lazaridis
- Narrated by: Shea Taylor, Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1910, and two Antarctic explorers, Watts and Heywoud, are racing to the South Pole. Back in London, Viola, a photo-journalist, harbors love for them both. In Terra Nova, Henriette Lazaridis seamlessly ushers the listener back and forth between the austere, forbidding, yet intoxicating polar landscape of Antarctica to the bustle of early twentieth century London.
-
-
No Ice Story Like It
- By Cameron Dryden on 01-27-23
-
Jane Austen at Home
- A Biography
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Ruth Redman
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip back to Jane Austen's world and the many places she lived as historian Lucy Worsley visits Austen's childhood home, her schools, her holiday accommodations, the houses - both grand and small - of the relations upon whom she was dependent, and the home she shared with her mother and sister towards the end of her life.
-
-
As a Devoted Janeite - I loved this book!
- By Dorothy on 07-17-17
By: Lucy Worsley
-
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall
- A Novel
- By: Katie Lumsden
- Narrated by: Olivia Vinall
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England. But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis’s widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.
-
-
ugh
- By CFrame on 04-20-23
By: Katie Lumsden
-
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery
- Being a Jane Austen Mystery, Book 1
- By: Stephanie Barron
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel, countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband - a gentleman of mature years - is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the earl's nephew of adultery - and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help.
-
-
Finally the first four books
- By Rena on 06-05-20
By: Stephanie Barron
-
The Covenant of Water
- By: Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by: Abraham Verghese
- Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time.
-
-
Story Telling At Its Best
- By Regina on 05-06-23
By: Abraham Verghese
-
The Marriage Portrait
- A Novel
- By: Maggie O'Farrell
- Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt, Maggie O'Farrell
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding, Lucrezia is thrust into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must make her way in a court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed.
-
-
If You Love Alternate Histories, Get This
- By Jim on 09-26-22
By: Maggie O'Farrell
-
The Jane Austen Society
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now, it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people - a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others - could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen.
-
-
Why so much bad language? Ruined a good book
- By Anonymous User on 08-12-20
By: Natalie Jenner
-
Longbourn
- By: Jo Baker
- Narrated by: Emma Fielding
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
-
-
Extraordinary book (even w/o Pride & Prejudice)
- By MP on 10-13-13
By: Jo Baker
-
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Mrs. Harris Goes to New York
- The Adventures of Mrs. Harris
- By: Paul Gallico
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mrs. Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, when tidying Lady Dant's wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life—a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she's never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she's never wanted anything as much before. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs. Harris scrimps, saves, and slaves away until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris.
-
-
A story of its time
- By Ella Quent on 02-15-23
By: Paul Gallico
-
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.
-
-
Transcends its Genre
- By Gene on 12-07-03
-
Homecoming
- By: Kate Morton
- Narrated by: Claire Foy
- Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, a local deliveryman makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia. Many years later and thousands of miles away, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for nearly two decades, she now finds herself laid off from her full-time job and struggling to make ends meet. Until a phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney.
-
-
Loved the compelling audiobook version!
- By Melissas Bookshelf on 04-07-23
By: Kate Morton
-
Shrines of Gaiety
- A Novel
- By: Kate Atkinson
- Narrated by: Jason Watkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie’s empire faces threats from without and within.
-
-
Rich characters of all stripes
- By Glorious Lorius on 11-09-22
By: Kate Atkinson
-
Of Manners and Murder
- Dear Miss Hermione, Book 1
- By: Anastasia Hastings
- Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1885, London, England. When Violet's Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, Miss Hermione, in Violet's hands. And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent: Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village from which the letter was posted, she finds Ivy dead. Soon Violet discovers that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.
-
-
So sorry Beatrice!
- By McCormick on 03-15-23
-
Agatha Christie
- An Elusive Woman
- By: Lucy Worsley
- Narrated by: Lucy Worsley
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was "just" an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of a massively, internationally successful writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman. With access to rarely seen personal letters and papers, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.
-
-
A delight and a revelation
- By theenglishmajor on 12-02-22
By: Lucy Worsley
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Miss Austen
- A Novel of the Austen Sisters
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone and unwed, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her 60s and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold.
-
-
Wonderful
- By RueRue on 06-27-20
By: Gill Hornby
-
Ithaca
- By: Claire North
- Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne—not yet.
-
-
I wanted to love this so much!
- By LiburConi on 09-11-22
By: Claire North
-
Austen at Sea
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Rupert Graves
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.
By: Natalie Jenner
-
Always Be My Duchess
- By: Amalie Howard
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can't break a man's heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution.
-
-
Easy to listen Historical Romance
- By JenTapler on 08-07-22
By: Amalie Howard
-
Less (Booktrack Edition)
- A Novel
- By: Andrew Sean Greer
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn 50. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: Your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can't say yes—it would be too awkward—and you can't say no—it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world. Question: How do you arrange to skip town? Answer: You accept them all. What would possibly go wrong?
-
-
Less is not more. Plus a Pulitzer?
- By Seth on 03-24-20
-
Educating Caroline
- By: Meg Cabot
- Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lady Caroline Linford is horrified to discover her fiancé, the Marquis of Winchilsea, in the arms of another woman. Unfortunately, for the rest of Victorian society, this sort of extracurricular activity is par for the course for most men and certainly not reason enough cancel the upcoming wedding. But Caroline is determined to make sure that the man she is to marry will desire only her, so she enlists the best teacher in the art of romance: London’s most notorious rake, Braden Granville.
-
-
Delightful rom com
- By Book Queen on 11-26-24
By: Meg Cabot
-
Miss Austen
- A Novel of the Austen Sisters
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone and unwed, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her 60s and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold.
-
-
Wonderful
- By RueRue on 06-27-20
By: Gill Hornby
-
Ithaca
- By: Claire North
- Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne—not yet.
-
-
I wanted to love this so much!
- By LiburConi on 09-11-22
By: Claire North
-
Austen at Sea
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Rupert Graves
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.
By: Natalie Jenner
-
Always Be My Duchess
- By: Amalie Howard
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can't break a man's heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution.
-
-
Easy to listen Historical Romance
- By JenTapler on 08-07-22
By: Amalie Howard
-
Less (Booktrack Edition)
- A Novel
- By: Andrew Sean Greer
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn 50. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: Your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can't say yes—it would be too awkward—and you can't say no—it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world. Question: How do you arrange to skip town? Answer: You accept them all. What would possibly go wrong?
-
-
Less is not more. Plus a Pulitzer?
- By Seth on 03-24-20
-
Educating Caroline
- By: Meg Cabot
- Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lady Caroline Linford is horrified to discover her fiancé, the Marquis of Winchilsea, in the arms of another woman. Unfortunately, for the rest of Victorian society, this sort of extracurricular activity is par for the course for most men and certainly not reason enough cancel the upcoming wedding. But Caroline is determined to make sure that the man she is to marry will desire only her, so she enlists the best teacher in the art of romance: London’s most notorious rake, Braden Granville.
-
-
Delightful rom com
- By Book Queen on 11-26-24
By: Meg Cabot
-
The Hive
- A Novel
- By: Gill Hornby
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's the start of another school year at St. Ambrose. While the children are busy in the classroom, their mothers are learning sharper lessons. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power...and how to get invited to lunch. The Hive is a wickedly funny and brilliantly observed story about female friendship, power plays, and the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of trying to do one's part.
By: Gill Hornby
-
The Monster Mash-Up
- A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery, Books 1-3
- By: Amanda M. Lee
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
- Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This three-book omnibus includes the first three books in the Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery series. Included are: The Bigfoot Blunder, The Chupacabra Catastrophe and The Werewolf Whoops. Sit back and enjoy the ride. The laughter and tears will stick with you long after the story ends.
-
-
Meh
- By Elbee on 08-30-21
By: Amanda M. Lee
-
The Other Bennet Sister
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hadlow
- Narrated by: Carla Mendonça
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.
-
-
Exhausting
- By LAH on 07-10-20
By: Janice Hadlow
-
Shit, Actually
- The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema
- By: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shit, Actually is a love letter and a breakup note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they're one and the same.
-
-
How Woke
- By R. Squyres on 02-27-21
By: Lindy West
-
A.D. 30
- A Novel
- By: Ted Dekker
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine. A war that rages between kingdoms on the Earth and in the heart. The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all. Step back in time to the year of our Lord...AD 30. The outcast daughter of one of the most powerful Bedouin sheikhs in Arabia, Maviah is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father's warriors.
-
-
Not just fiction!
- By Karen P on 11-15-14
By: Ted Dekker
-
The Girl in the Painting
- By: Tea Cooper
- Narrated by: Casey Withoos
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Australia, 1906: Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinns are no strangers to hardship. Having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were. Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.
-
-
A Six- Star Review!
- By Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe on 06-09-21
By: Tea Cooper
-
Reputation
- A Novel
- By: Lex Croucher
- Narrated by: Bessie Carter
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abandoned by her parents, Georgiana Ellers is spending the summer with her stodgy aunt and uncle at their home in the English countryside. At a particularly dull party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy member of the in-crowd who delights Georgiana with her disregard for so-called “polite society”. Lonely and vulnerable, Georgiana quickly falls in with Frances and her wealthy, wild, and deeply improper friends, who introduce her to the upper echelons of Regency aristocracy, and a world of drunken debauchery, frivolous spending, and mysterious young men.
-
-
DNF I just couldn't
- By W. Sabin on 01-02-23
By: Lex Croucher
-
The Rival Queens
- Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
-
-
Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
Second First Impressions
- A Novel
- By: Sally Thorne
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An advertisement has been placed (again!) by the wealthy and eccentric Parloni Sisters. The salary is generous and the employers are 90 years old, so how hard could the job be? Well, none have lasted longer than a week. Most boys leave in tears. Ruthie Midona will work in Providence’s front office, and be at the Parlonis' beck and call, forever. That’s sort of her life plan. If Ruthie can run the place in her almost-retired bosses’ absence, with no hijinks/hiccups, she has a shot at becoming the new manager.
-
-
Sweet New Adult Mood
- By Avid Reader on 05-03-21
By: Sally Thorne
-
Arrowood
- An Arrowood Mystery
- By: Mick Finlay
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1895. London is scared. A killer haunts the city's streets. The poor are hungry. Crime bosses are taking control. The police force is stretched to the breaking point. The rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer. In the dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele, and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood.
-
-
Dickens Meets Dashiell Hammett
- By Kathy B on 08-22-18
By: Mick Finlay
-
Where Foxes Say Goodnight
- Sleeping Foxes, Book 1
- By: Sam Burns
- Narrated by: Greg Boudreaux
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max is living the screenwriter dream. He's not even thirty, he's just won an Oscar, and he's dating the gorgeous star of his movie. But after that one magical night, everything crumbles. The movie star dumps him, and his latest screenplay is a blank document that stubbornly refuses to write itself. So Max decides to disappear into the middle of nowhere and maybe obscurity. He's just getting settled into his new life when suddenly someone is trying to kill him.
-
-
Nice but ultimately forgettable
- By Sasheenka on 05-28-24
By: Sam Burns
-
A Memory of Violets
- A Novel of London's Flower Sellers
- By: Hazel Gaynor
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1876. Among the filth and depravity of Covent Garden's flower markets, orphaned Irish sisters Flora and Rosie Flynn sell posies of violets and watercress to survive. It is a pitiful existence, made bearable only by each other's presence. When they become separated, the decision of a desperate woman sets their lives on very different paths.
-
-
Lovely !
- By RueRue on 02-01-16
By: Hazel Gaynor
What listeners say about Godmersham Park
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Renee Walker
- 02-20-23
Godmersham Park review
Loved the story, couldn’t put it down! If you love Jane Austen you will love reading about this friendship!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 01-16-23
Loved it!
Heard about it on Fi and Jane off air. Charming story that makes you understand the challenges of life in the late 1700 for a smart, poor woman.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ExArtProf
- 11-19-22
Well worth the listen
Gil Hornsby has an excellent sense of the manners and mores of the period. Her writing style imitates Jane Austin’s extremely well. The narrator was excellent, capturing the personalities and class differences of the characters. For me, there was a bit too much emphasis on the plays performed by family as part of the story. But, all in all the book is a well worth the listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- melbo
- 11-29-23
Didn’t want it to end
This is a beautifully written and engaging novel. It’s an absolute treat for Austen lovers. We need more!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. E.
- 03-30-23
OK...
Narration is excellent, but the story just fell flat for me. There were great characters, everything there for a great listen, but it never built up to get me really invested in all the characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RueRue
- 03-24-24
Story needs more Jane Austen
The story doesn’t really become interesting until the appearance of Jane Austen. The author does an excellent job of depicting the limited opportunities for women during that time. Excellent narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Vijaya
- 01-30-23
Great book for Austin fans
I liked this book about Jane’s friend Anne
True to the mannerisms and lifestyle depicted by Jane
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melissas Bookshelf
- 11-04-22
Loved the audiobook version!
Godmersham Park is a delightful historical fiction based on the actual diary entries of Fanny Austen (Jane Austen’s niece), as well as correspondence from friends and family. It follows the story of Anne Sharp, Fanny’s governess, who came to work at Godmersham Park at the age of 31. With meticulous research and prose in the vein of Jane Austen, the author weaves a captivating tale of Jane’s beloved friend.
Anne’s story is fraught with loneliness and angst as she’s suddenly thrust into the role of governess with her mother’s death and father’s abandonment. Used to living a comfortable life, Anne finds it difficult to navigate her new role. While she finds twelve year old Fanny engaging and enjoyable, she figuratively walks a tightrope, not quite fitting in with the servants, but not equal to the family. She’s constantly on guard, measuring her words and actions to protect her position. This becomes even more precarious when Henry Austen takes a marked interest in her.
Anne’s also plagued with headaches and other health issues, and the Austen family goes to surprisingly great lengths to help their favorite governess. When Jane, her sister Cassandra, and mother come to stay at Godmersham Park, it’s a turning point in Anne’s life. She and Jane become the dearest of friends and for once Anne’s free of loneliness. Their friendship lasts throughout Jane’s life. I loved learning in the author’s note that a rare copy of Emma was given to Anne by Jane with a handwritten inscription to her dear friend.
Anne’s inner monologues were interesting, thoughtful, and at times melancholy. She’s clearly an intelligent woman sadly beholden to the whims of men and her employers. Anne’s and Jane’s friendship is delightful, but doesn’t come about until around two-thirds into the book. It’s more of a fascinating look at the lesser known figures of Jane’s siblings including Henry, Edward, Edward’s wife Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s sister Harriett as they interact with Anne.
I enjoyed learning more about these important figures in Jane Austen’s life. I also liked the interesting glimpses of day to day happenings at Godmersham Park. There’re plays as in Mansfield Park, sea bathing, excursions, lessons with Fanny, and a bit of a mystery as Anne’s past is slowly revealed. There’s also Anne’s ill-fated friendship with Henry.
I purchased an audiobook copy and loved listening to the narration. I liked the way the narrator distinguished each character and made them really come alive. She also injected just the right amount of emotion, which made listening enjoyable.
Definitely recommend to Janeites, i.e. lovers of all things Jane Austen and historical fiction fans. This book renewed my desire to keep a journal as Fanny’s little diaries have proven invaluable. I received advanced copies from AustenProse PR and the publisher. I also purchased an audiobook copy as well. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Georgia Burns
- 04-18-25
This was an ideal respite for my troubled mind
I have read and loved all the Jane Austen books. I anticipated a disappointment. But it wasn’t. For a few hours, I disappeared into her world once more. It was a lovely experience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary Elizabeth Herr
- 05-07-24
Terrible disappointment
It did not compare at all to Miss Austen. The reader debased it even more with annoying and shrill voices. Huge disappointment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful