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A Respectable Trade

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About this listen

From the bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Bristol in 1787 is booming, from its stinking docks to its elegant new houses. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs ready cash and a well-connected wife.

An arranged marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah’s protection, Frances enters the world of the Bristol merchants and finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum and slaves.

Once again Philippa Gregory brings her unique combination of a vivid sense of history and inimitable storytelling skills to illuminate a complex period of our past. Powerful, haunting, intensely disturbing, this is a novel of desire and shame, of individuals, of a society, and of a whole continent devastated by the greed of others.

©1995 Philippa Gregory (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Women's Voices Romance Marriage Exciting Heartfelt Tear-jerking
All stars
Most relevant
Best narration I have ever heard. The sheer variety of accents is one thing, but to make each character so distinctive and recognisable is a true gift. Brilliant rendition.

Five star performance

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I read this book some years ago, but being a PG fan thought this would be a great listen. It was still a great book but the reader Addis Andoh brought the characters to life beautifully! At the end ... it was like saying goodbye to my best friends! It is definitely well worth buying!

Simply stunning ...

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I have never read a book by this author and I was totally enthralled by it. A fascinating plot really brought to life by the absolutely stunning performance of the narrator- what a skill to bring a book to life in this way. Congratulations.

What a performance

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I have listened to many many audiobooks, but I have never listened to such an accomplished performance before. Adjoa Andoh has raised the bar so high for characterisation, accent variety and sustainability and pure passion. What a story teller she is! Simply incredible.

The story itself is beautifully written, desperately tragic and a brutal account of Britain’s shameful past. Slavery depicted in all its horror - no holds barred. Beautifully drawn characters, perfectly fitting into the late 1700s. So atmospheric. I loved it. My only slight niggle is that it went a bit mills and boon as the relationship between the two central characters changed slightly implausible direction. I’m watching the mini series on YouTube now. Highly recommend both.

Stunning performance by Adjoa Andoh, a masterclass in narration

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What a fantastic book and the narrator was perfect for it my favourite Phillipa Gregory book so far

A must read

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