Large Library of Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical New Releases

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Title: Hetaera: Daughter of the Gods

Author: J.A. Coffey

Narrator: Sherill Turner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-13

Publisher: Julie Coffey

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

She was the original Cinderella....Doricha is twelve when her father is murdered by a roving band of Greeks. Betrayed by a jealous priestess and sold into slavery, headstrong Dori loses her most valuable possession-her freedom. She hopes that one day she can truly be free, but not even Aesop, her mentor, can protect her. The harsh world of classical Greece has little use for the minds of women, and she finds her body traded to another owner, who transports her to a new life of luxury and political turmoil in the faraway deserts of Egypt. All she has to do is be beautiful, all she has to do is love him, and she will be kept safe.

The problem is, Dori doesn't want to be kept - by any man. Not even the god-king Amasis, Pharaoh of Egypt.

From the ancient Thracian temple of the Bacchae to the exotic lands of Egypt where political intrigue coils like a nest of asps, Dori learns that fulfilling her father's dying wish is not about bands around her wrists so much as it is bands around her heart. Based on persons and historical events of 26th dynasty Egypt, Hetaera fictionalizes the life of Doricha/Rhodopis--a most extraordinary woman who changed the world.

Members Reviews:

Meh.

I bought this because of good reviews on Amazon. I kept listening to this thinking, "People liked it. It's got to get better at some point." For me, it didn't. I found the characters one-dimensional, and there was a lot of "telling" (i.e. this happened to me, and then this happened to me and then this happened to me) and not so much "showing" (developing characters through dialogue and interactions). The main character also remained wildly naive in her actions, in spite of her continuously telling the audience how she had grown.

The narrator didn't help things. The character is supposed to transform throughout the story, and yet the narrator voices the heroine with a girlish voice for the entire story. And for the men's voices, the narrator simply tries to deepen her voice, which just ends up sounding farcical.

Bottom line, it killed many hours of commute time. But I was really hoping for historical fiction and not a fairy tale; the book didn't come through for me. I don't think I'll be looking for anything more by this author because it was just too superficial a story. It's too bad, because the idea had promise, and so many parts of the story really could have been interesting if they had been developed.

Loved every minute of it!

This is one of those books that leave you feeling a little sad when it ends...I'll miss having Doricha along for my daily commute and nature walks! Coffey has composed the perfect blend of adventure, intrigue and steamy romance all wrapped up in the beautiful package of Greek and Egyptian culture. Absolutely loved it and can't wait for her next book!

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Title: The Railroad Scrimmage

Subtitle: A Drama of the Erie War

Author: F. L. Light

Narrator: Jack Chekijian

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-13

Publisher: Rapid Traffic Press

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As the southernmost line in New York State, the Erie Railroad in the 1860s ran from Jersey City to Lake Erie. Commodore Vanderbilt considered it an appropriate expansion to his New York Central and tried to corner Erie's shares.

This drama represents how three of Erie's directors, Jay Gould, Jim Fisk and Daniel Drew, fought a financial war to check his acquisition. But the main part to Vanderbilt belongs as the most triumphant American of the nineteenth century.

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Title: Post of Honour

Subtitle: Book Two

Author: R. F. Delderfield

Narrator: Jonathan Oliver

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-13

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Nowhere in England avoids the loss of young men during the First World War and the village of Shallowford is no exception. Many never return and the lives of those who do are changed forever.

Paul Craddock must rebuild the estate and the bonds broken between those who belong there. It is a time of huge social change and there are peacetime challenges as hard to surmount as those of war. And before they are met, Germany once again threatens the stability of Europe.

Critic Reviews:

"Mr Delderfield's manner is easy, modest, heartwarming." (Evening Standard)

His narratives belong in a tradition that goes back to John Galsworthy and Arnold Bennett (Life Magazine)

Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads... Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias. (Guardian)

"His narratives belong in a tradition that goes back to John Galsworthy and Arnold Bennett." (Life magazine)

"Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads.... Its ambition: to construct the 12 Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias." (Guardian)

Members Reviews:

The best of the trilogy

I listened to this book straight after the first and with some trepidation in case it was not as good but I needn't have worried. Delderfield had woven such an intricate picture of the valley and it's inhabitants that starting this new book was like slipping back in to a much loved home.

The story focuses slightly less on the Craddock family than it did before and more on their tenants, friends and neighbours than before before, during and after the war years. The Craddock's are the ribbon that flows through it all and keeps everything anchored together.

In a country where the losses of World War One were terribly apparent to all communities they are magnified in the rural villages where the men leaving for war almost brings the agricultural businesses to a standstill and what has been clawed back from derelict farms and moor during the last book is in danger of being lost.

The account of the war years are personal, raw and heartbreaking. The characters by now feel like friends and are so well written that you cannot help but feel a deep fondness and on occasion love for them all.

Each character evolves and changes, Delderfield is brilliant at expressing the passage of time and adjusting to the era without it looking forced or jerky.

Absolutely loved this book and highly recommend.

Authentic

There is a difference between authors writing about times they have lived through and those treating it as a historical exercise. The pieces on WW1 and the agricultural depression are excellent. The loss of so many lovable characters is trying but an accurate reflection of the blood letting. Would have loved more on the 1920s and feel somewhat cheated.

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Title: Crown of Aloes

Author: Norah Lofts

Narrator: Patience Tomlinson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-13

Publisher: Soundings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Isabella of Spain was a great woman, a great Queen. Crown of Aloes is presented as a personal chronicle.

Within the framework of known fact and detail drawn from hitherto unexploited contemporary Spanish sources, a novelists imagination and understanding have provided motives, thoughts, and private conversations, helping to build up the fascinating character Isabella must have been.

Her fortunes were varied indeed: she knew acute poverty, faced anxiety and danger with high courage, gave much, suffered much, lived to the full. At the end she was mainly aware of her failures. It was left to others to realise how spectacular her successes had been.

Members Reviews:

A VERY INTERESTING & COMPELLING STORY

I so wanted to listen to an audiobook about Spanish history, either fact or fiction based on fact, so I searched the database here and came up with "The Crown of Castile: How Isabel Happened To Become Queen" by Beverly Enwall. Great, right? NEGATORY!!! It may have been a good story but the author decided that SHE WHO WRITES CAN ALSO NARRATE! It was awful! It sounded like somebody's Granny reading "Cinderella" while trying to keep her dentures from falling out! Plus you can't write about Isabella without mentioning her predecessor and half-brother King Henry IV, a well-known and overt homosexual who preferred young boys. Nothing wrong with that except who wants to listen to "Nana" reading about buggering boys?!?! It's really sad when a writer ruins her own book. I returned it but still had a "hankering" to learn a little bit about Queen Isabel of Spain. I gambled my refunded credit on this book. It definitely "scratched that itch" for me. The author successfully uses literary license to weave known historical facts with fiction to deliver a good story. Patience Tomlinson does a great job narrating. Well worth the "price of admission"!

Really enjoyable listen

If you could sum up Crown of Aloes in three words, what would they be?

A fascinating listen

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crown of Aloes?

Early on in Isabels life where she feels fear for the first time, also Juanna and the parrot.

What does Patience Tomlinson bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

She has a lovely voice to listen to and doesn't waste time with many accents but does put emphasis where it should be.

Any additional comments?

My one problem with this book was the fact that as historical fiction I expect at the end of the book a section on what was real and what was made up and why the author said such and such, this book had no such section, leaving me with lots of information on Isabel but no idea what of it is true. I found that very disappointing.

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Title: Nostalgia

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Dennis McFarland

Narrator: Sean Runnette

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From best-selling author Dennis McFarland comes an extraordinary Civil War novel: the journey of a nineteen-year-old private abandoned by his comrades in the Wilderness, struggling to regain his voice, his identity, and his place in a world - all utterly changed by what he has experienced on the battlefield.

In the winter of 1864, young Summerfield Hayes, a pitcher for the famous Eckford Club, enlists in the Union army, leaving his sister, a schoolteacher, devastated and alone in their Brooklyn home. The siblings, who have recently lost both their parents, are unusually attached and Summerfield fears his untoward, secret feelings for his sister. This rich backstory is intercut with stunning scenes of Hayes' soul-altering hours on the march, at the front - the slaughter of barely grown young men who, only days before, whooped it up with him in a regimental ball game; his temporary deafness and disorientation after a shell blast; his fevered attempt to find safe haven after he has been deserted by his own comrades. And later, in the Washington military hospital where he eventually finds himself, now mute and unable even to write his name. In this twilit realm, among the people he encounters - a compassionate drug-addicted amputee, the ward matron who only appears to be his enemy, the captain who is convinced that Hayes is faking his illness - is a gray-bearded eccentric who visits the ward daily and becomes his strongest advocate: Walt Whitman. This timeless story, whose outcome hinges on the fellowship that is forged in crisis, reminds us how deep the wounds of war are, not all of which are visible.

Members Reviews:

Nostalgia

Abandoned, battered, and lost in the wake of the Wilderness Campaign, Summerfield Hayes,a 19-year old Union soldier,finds his way to a Washington military hospital. There, amid memories of his young life in Brooklyn and his recent ordeal in the Virginia woods, and surrounded by the horrors of the ward, Hayes encounters a wound-dresser known as Walt. Walt Whitman, as McFarland imagines him, is an enigmatic but completely convincing figure whose empathy and compassion offer some hope of recovery to the broken men he serves.

McFarland's sentences are beautiful: if you tend to read too fast, as I do, you stop and reread them in order not to miss anything. The inner and outer world of the young soldier come alive on the page, allowing the reader to experience civilian life in 19th-century Brooklyn (including its baseball fields) as well as the stink of a military hospital during an agonizing Washington spring. This is a wonderful book -- highly recommended.

Just read 80% of it.

Starts out very interesting. Good characters and baseball side story. Drags when the main character gets to the hospital and just dies after he gets out and home. Very disappointing ending. And the characters sick lusting after his sister is , well, sick and very poorly done.

Requires your full attention..

This is a good book, but it is a committment..This is not the kind of book you can read with on eye on the TV. The writer's style is very dense and takes concentration to full comprehend the story. Overall a good read, but not something you will burn through in a couple days.

excellent book. The author has done his research and ...

excellent book . The author has done his research and everything about life in 1864 seems authentic, though the baseball did

surprise me.

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Title: Agrippa's Daughter

Author: Howard Fast

Narrator: Susannah Tyrrell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Bestselling author Howard Fast's riveting portrait of Israel's strong and beautiful Queen Berenice, whose life story is one of the ancient world's greatest romances. Throughout her rule in the first century AD, Queen Berenice is idolized by some, and hated by others. Though her fiery red hair makes her instantly recognizable, it is her mysterious charm and steely will that make her unforgettable. The daughter of Israel's King Agrippa I, Berenice is determined to free the kingdom of Israel from the shadow of the Roman Empire. But her plans are derailed after her husband, Shimeon, dies during a bloody civil war. When Berenice falls in love with Titus, son of the Roman Emperor, they devise an impossible plan to join the ruling lines of Rome and Israel.

A master of gripping historical fiction, Howard Fast brings the ancient world to vivid life in this enthralling, epic drama.

Editorial Reviews:

This audiobook by Howard Fast, the renowned author of Spartacus and Communist sympathizer who was jailed for standing up to the House Un-American Activities Committee is historically based in the Rome of 100 years after Spartacus. This is a time of squashed revolution among the Jewish people. It follows Berenice the daughter of Herod Agrippa, a Jewish client Queen of the Roman province of Judea who had a relationship with Titus Flavius, emperor of the Rome that destroyed the second temple and persecuted the Jews. Susannah Tyrell gives a dramatic, distinguished performance of the material. Her slight British accent and graceful elocution bringing the listener into this opulent story.

Members Reviews:

MORE LIKE "THE REAL HOUSEWIFE OF JUDAEA"!!!

What disappointed you about Agrippa's Daughter?

I thought I'd learn something about the lives of Jews in the 1st century under the Romans. What I did learn is more than anyone would needs to know about circumcision! There is just not enough documented history about Berenice for a good story. Howard Fast seems to have taken a whole 'nother approach to historical fiction. Instead of giving us an enlightened view of the people, places and things of that era, I feel as though I just listened to a 1st century "reality" show, where everyone is as ghetto or country or trailer-trashy as they can be!

Would you ever listen to anything by Howard Fast again?

Yes, I've read some of his other books so I know he's a good writer. I just can't figure out how THIS one garnered 5-stars.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Susannah Tyrrell?

Anyone would have been better. There's nothing wrong with Susannah Tyrrell overall - she's just not right for THIS kind of book. OR the book is so over-the-top that Tyrrell can't get her rhythm going. But, to answer the question, I think a narrator like Nadia May would have made Berenice sound less slovenly, selfish, and slutty.

What character would you cut from Agrippa's Daughter?

AGRIPPA'S DAUGHTER!!! She is the most unlikeable, unsympathetic character that I've ever had the misfortune to come across.

Any additional comments?

I'm going to have go back to my criteria of buying books that have positive WRITTEN reviews. This is the second book in as many weeks in which I am the first Audible listener to give it a review. It is not a mistake I will make for a THIRD time.

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Title: Praise Jerusalem!

Author: Augusta Trobaugh

Narrator: D. Lynne Jenson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-13

Publisher: Bell Bridge Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Fans of southern novels that explore the complex relationships between white families and their black hired help will find a compelling story about race relations in Praise Jerusalem.

Amelia, an aging Georgia matron forced by money woes to move in with two other women - outlandishly preachy Maybelline and take-no-nonsense Mamie, who is black - begins to confront her childhood memories of the black women who worked for her family.

Their lives, both tragic and yet sublimely proud, haunt Amelia even now, as she searches for a way to make peace with the sorrows she innocently observed.

Praise Jerusalem is a rare mix of poignant drama but also wry humor. Both the elder Amelia and her childhood self are primly rebellious and irrepressible; Amelia's sharp eye for petty human foibles never fails her.

Critic Reviews:

"A perfect balance of richness and delicacy...I found something to amaze and delight me on every page." (Bailey White, National Public Radio commentator and author of Quite a Year for Plums.)

"Trobaugh grounds her rich first novel with salty dialogue and earthy realism." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Enchanting story / narration brings it to life

Would you listen to Praise Jerusalem! again? Why?

Yes! This is a great story that really paints a vivid picture of life in a small town in the South. The characterizations are complex, and the narration brings the characters to life. Both humorous and touching.

What did you like best about this story?

The contrast of humor and pathos.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Maybelline arrives to move in with Miss Amelia.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the talented narration, the voicings of the characters and the way the narrator set the mood perfectly for each scene.

I cannot finish this!!!

What disappointed you about Praise Jerusalem!?

No joy, no redemption, and no longer interested in listening to a screeching banshee! It's unbearable. Depressing and unrealistic!

Would you ever listen to anything by Augusta Trobaugh again?

Never say never, but...

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of D. Lynne Jenson?

Someone with a bit more ability to sing even poorly, and not screech!

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Kept hoping..

Any additional comments?

Read the book don't listen to it!

Not as good as hoped

Would you try another book from Augusta Trobaugh and/or D. Lynne Jenson?

Probably not

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

This had been praised to be right up there with "The Help". Although I did enjoy the racial interactions in the story, it did not touch my heart nor keep my attention in any way compared to The Help.

Would you be willing to try another one of D. Lynne Jensons performances?

The performance is what turned me off so bad. Most of the voices were done in such a high pitched nail-grating voice that it made it hard for me to listen to. I endured to the end but the whole thing was disappointing to me.

Could you see Praise Jerusalem! being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No

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Title: Harvest

Author: Jim Crace

Narrator: John Keating

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-12-13

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As late summer steals in and the final pearls of barley are gleaned, a village comes under threat. Over the course of seven days, Walter Thirsk sees his hamlet unmade: the manor house set on fire, the harvest blackened, three new arrivals punished, and his neighbours accused of witchcraft. But something even darker is at the heart of his story, and he will be the only man left to tell it

Members Reviews:

A good (maybe great) book poorly read

What made the experience of listening to Harvest the most enjoyable?

This timeless narrative is very well written, with evocative descriptions of a rural English world that is long gone but deeply embedded in our cultural psyche. I enjoyed it while listening to this short book, but have been surprised how much it has stuck with me - I've often found myself thinking back on it.

What didnt you like about John Keatings performance?

The reading performance I found distractingly bad - possibly the worst I've experienced yet. I found his voice and some of his pronunciations (e.g. 'manny' instead of 'many') irritating, and whenever he did a voice for a character he seemed to put on the same exaggerated squeeky village simpleton voice. This is clearly a matter of taste though, as others have rated the performance highly.

Any additional comments?

I've read/listened to 3 of the 6 books on the 2013 Booker shortlist so far, and I think this would have been a worthy winner.

Very good.

I love it when a novel takes me to a place or time that's new and unknown to me, and 'Harvest' certainly did that. The vague impressions I have of that period in British history, around 1800, when the aristocratic landowners were able to clear the common lands of the common people, in order to use the forests for the much more profitable rearing of sheep, were brought to wonderful, brutal life by the author.

What I like about this novel, though, is that there are no innocents. The village is ancient, but not venerable; it's not a bucolic paradise but a closeted little world with harsh justice and a stagnant gene pool. The indigents may be innocent of the crimes they're accused of, but they're unforgiving and vengeful in the end; and the landlord, and his people, are, for better or worse, responsible for preparing the way for the industrial revolution and our modern world ... So we're all found wanting in this tale. It's well narrated (though the narrator's idiosyncratic pronunciation of 'cloth' as 'clorth' was distracting) and I'll definitely be searching out more of Jim Crace's work.

Great book - weird pronounciations!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

With warnings about the odd pronouciations. A shame, as the book is so original.

What other book might you compare Harvest to, and why?

Unlike anything I've read - I suppose the nearest might be Hardy's novels, with accounts of rural events in his time.

What three words best describe John Keatings performance?

Clear, Not English?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long.

Any additional comments?

I felt that the reader sounded too young for the protagonist who was the narrator, but the most irritating thing was his peculiar pronounciation of words which cropped up a lot, like 'clorth' for cloth for instance, which for me upset the flow of the narrative.

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Title: All the Queen's Players

Author: Jane Feather

Narrator: Rosalind Ashford

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 09-03-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At Queen Elizabeth's palace, intrigue abounds. And when a naive girl with a gift for keen observation enters the court, she can hardly imagine the role she will play in bringing England - - indeed, the whole of Europe - to the brink of war. Nor can she foresee her own journey to the brink of ecstasy and beyond. When she becomes a junior lady of Queen Elizabeth's bedchamber, Rosamund is instructed by her cousin, the brilliant and devious secretary of state Sir Francis Walsingham, to record everything she observes. Her promised reward: a chance at a good marriage. But through her brother Thomas, Rosamund finds herself drawn to the forbidden, rough-and-tumble world of theatre, and to Thomas's friend, the dramatic, impetuous playwright Christopher Marlowe. And then Rosamund meets Will Creighton - a persuasive courtier, poet, and would-be playwright who is the embodiment of an unsuitable match.

The unsanctioned relationship between Rosamund and Will draws the wrath of Elizabeth, who prides herself on being the Virgin Queen. Rosamund is sent in disgrace to a remote castle that holds Elizabeth's cousin Mary Stuart, the imprisoned Queen of Scots. Here, Walsingham expects Rosamund to uncover proof of a plot against Elizabeth. But surely, nothing good can come of putting an artless girl in such close proximity to so many seductive players and deceptive games. Unless, of course, Rosamund can discover an affinity for passion and intrigue herself.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jane Feather conspires with history to tell this dazzling story about two very real, very wily queens - and one impassioned young woman whose life they change forever.

Editorial Reviews:

All the Queen's Players transports listeners back to the 16th century, when Mary Queen of Scots has just been executed and a young woman named Rosamund Walsingham joins Queen Elizabeth's palace staff.

Rosalind Ashford performs this historical novel in eloquent, patrician accents that could belong to a noblewoman. It is no surprise that she has recorded several novels by Jane Feather, for her voice is delectably suited for romance in a historical setting. Real figures like Christopher Marlowe and Mary Stuart brush shoulders with the intriguing figments of Feather's imagination. As opposed to a traditional romance, this novel does not rely on a happy ending to send its readers home satisfied.

Members Reviews:

great read

Interesting, with just enough factual info to make it plausible.

I will listen to it again I am sure!

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Title: Tuppenny Times

Author: Beryl Kingston

Narrator: Mary Jane Wells

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Spirited and independent, lady's maid Nan Smithen has ambitions far beyond her station. Marriage to a wealthy businessman enchanted by her youth brings her position, children, and a comfortable union. Until her doting husband is killed on an ill-fated trip to revolutionary France.

Alone with three young children, Nan faces a bleak future, for there is no money left. But the strength of will that brought her this far drives her on. A newswalk in Mayfair is her first step towards establishing a business empire that will soon stretch throughout London and beyond. Nan's fortune starts to grow. Then Calverly Leigh, a dashing - and dangerous - cavalry officer waltzes into Nan's life and she discovers there is much, much more to life than selling the Tuppenny Times....

About the Author: Beryl Kingston was born and brought up in Tooting. After taking her degree at London University, she taught English and drama at various London schools as well as bringing up her three children. She now lives in Sussex.

Members Reviews:

Great Historical Fiction

As a former history teacher I love historical fiction. While this book might not be for everyone, I love the setting in England during the time of Napoleon. Great character development. I have just purchased several other books by this author as a result.

Rags to Riches selling Newspapers

This is a fascinating beginning of a historical family trilogy starting at the end of the 18th Century. Nan Smithen started the era as a ladies maid and by accident and sheer determination becomes one of the wealthiest women in England.

One evening 14 year old Nan is attacked by drunken sailors when returning from delivering a message for her master. She is rescued by 44 year old bachelor William Easter who happens to be passing by in his carriage. William is the third son of a wealthy family which tends to the heirs and not the spares. He is a meek, unhealthy but very kind man and he and Nan start up an unusual friendship which develops into marriage when she turns 16. On hearing of this relationship his uncaring family cuts off his allowance and spikes his businesses.

Within a few years they have 3 children, a circle of progressively minded friends and William is slowly drawing down his savings to maintain his standard of living. Nan and William visit France during the Revolution and see the trial and execution of the French King. After the execution there is a melee and William gets killed helping a woman who has been attacked.

Nan is left a widow, with 3 small children, and little money. To survive she buys a news walk in the centre of London selling newspapers, both on the street and by delivery to wealthy houses and clubs. Through hard work and enterprise Nan builds her business into the biggest of its kind in London and is closely involved with the start of an information revolution where newssheets are being replaced by newspapers, the iconic "The Times" is established and steam driven printing machines are installed. All of this happens when the English public is worried about a French invasion which triggers a huge demand for newspapers.

Nan is soon one of the richest women in the country.