Listen free for 30 days
-
Return to Mandalay
- Narrated by: Sandra Duncan, Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Last Dance in Havana
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cuba, 1958. Elisa is only 16 years old when she meets Duardo, and she knows he's the love of her life from the moment they first dance the rumba together in downtown Havana. But Duardo is a rebel determined to fight in Castro's army, and Elisa is forced to leave behind her homeland and rebuild her life in distant England. But how can she stop longing for the warmth of Havana when the music of the rumba still calls to her?
-
-
A bit mixed
- By Kathy on 08-10-16
-
The Saffron Trail
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Julie Teal
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once there was a girl who loved saffron. She loved its secrets and its mystery, and best of all she loved its hint of magic. After the death of her beloved mother, Nell travels from rural Cornwall to the colour and chaos of Marrakech. Her marriage may be on the rocks, but exploring the heady delights of Moroccan cuisine could help her fulfil her dream of opening her own restaurant. It's there she meets Amy - a young photographer trying to unravel the story behind her family's involvement in the Vietnam War.
-
-
Great Locations
- By Kathy on 07-11-16
-
From Venice with Love
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Helen Duff
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With her marriage in danger of falling apart, Joanna returns home to the beautiful but dilapidated Mulberry Farm Cottage in Dorset, where her sister Harriet is struggling to keep the farm afloat and cope with their eccentric mother. When Joanna discovers a bundle of love letters in the attic, written by a watercolourist named Emmy, she is intrigued and sets out to discover Emmy's true story. Emmy's letters take Joanna to the picturesque alleyways and bridges of Lisbon, Prague, and the most romantic place of all: Venice - where a whole new magical world seems to unfold in front of her.
-
-
So Boring
- By V. Cooper on 13-03-20
-
The Orange Grove
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Shazia Nicholls
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Holly loves making marmalade. Now she has a chance to leave her stressful city job and pursue her dream - of returning to the Dorset landscape of her childhood to open Bitter Orange, a shop celebrating the fruit that first inspired her. Holly's mother Ella has always loved Seville. So why is she reluctant to go back there with Holly to source products for the shop? What is she frightened of - and does it have anything to do with the old Spanish recipe for Seville orange and almond cake that Ella keeps hidden from her family?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Caz on 26-05-21
-
Her Mother's Secret
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Kim Hicks
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland - the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany - afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea's failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?
-
-
Morbid story
- By catherine on 17-05-18
-
The Villa
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family. Initially resistant to Tess going back to her roots, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions.
-
-
So happy when it was over...
- By Amazon Customer on 10-10-14
-
Last Dance in Havana
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cuba, 1958. Elisa is only 16 years old when she meets Duardo, and she knows he's the love of her life from the moment they first dance the rumba together in downtown Havana. But Duardo is a rebel determined to fight in Castro's army, and Elisa is forced to leave behind her homeland and rebuild her life in distant England. But how can she stop longing for the warmth of Havana when the music of the rumba still calls to her?
-
-
A bit mixed
- By Kathy on 08-10-16
-
The Saffron Trail
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Julie Teal
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once there was a girl who loved saffron. She loved its secrets and its mystery, and best of all she loved its hint of magic. After the death of her beloved mother, Nell travels from rural Cornwall to the colour and chaos of Marrakech. Her marriage may be on the rocks, but exploring the heady delights of Moroccan cuisine could help her fulfil her dream of opening her own restaurant. It's there she meets Amy - a young photographer trying to unravel the story behind her family's involvement in the Vietnam War.
-
-
Great Locations
- By Kathy on 07-11-16
-
From Venice with Love
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Helen Duff
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With her marriage in danger of falling apart, Joanna returns home to the beautiful but dilapidated Mulberry Farm Cottage in Dorset, where her sister Harriet is struggling to keep the farm afloat and cope with their eccentric mother. When Joanna discovers a bundle of love letters in the attic, written by a watercolourist named Emmy, she is intrigued and sets out to discover Emmy's true story. Emmy's letters take Joanna to the picturesque alleyways and bridges of Lisbon, Prague, and the most romantic place of all: Venice - where a whole new magical world seems to unfold in front of her.
-
-
So Boring
- By V. Cooper on 13-03-20
-
The Orange Grove
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Shazia Nicholls
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Holly loves making marmalade. Now she has a chance to leave her stressful city job and pursue her dream - of returning to the Dorset landscape of her childhood to open Bitter Orange, a shop celebrating the fruit that first inspired her. Holly's mother Ella has always loved Seville. So why is she reluctant to go back there with Holly to source products for the shop? What is she frightened of - and does it have anything to do with the old Spanish recipe for Seville orange and almond cake that Ella keeps hidden from her family?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Caz on 26-05-21
-
Her Mother's Secret
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Kim Hicks
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland - the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany - afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea's failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?
-
-
Morbid story
- By catherine on 17-05-18
-
The Villa
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family. Initially resistant to Tess going back to her roots, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions.
-
-
So happy when it was over...
- By Amazon Customer on 10-10-14
-
The Lemon Tree Hotel
- By: Rosanna Ley
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the beautiful village of Vernazza, the Mazzone family have transformed an old convent overlooking the glamorous Italian Riviera into the elegant Lemon Tree Hotel. For Chiara, her daughter, Elene, and her granddaughter, Isabella, the running of their hotel is the driving force in their lives. One day, two unexpected guests check in. The first, Dante, is a face from Chiara's past, but what exactly happened between them all those years ago, Elene wonders. Isabella is preoccupied with the second guest, a mysterious young man who seems to know a lot about the history of the old convent.
-
-
Wonderful story! Loved every minute!
- By Joyful Jo on 28-03-19
-
East of the Sun
- By: Julia Gregson
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn't be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom.
-
-
East of the sun
- By Jane on 16-01-13
-
The Summer House
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Tara Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When her husband dies in a tragic accident, Antoinette's world falls apart. He was her rock and the man she thought she knew better than she knew herself. But as she arrives at the church for George's funeral, she sees an unfamiliar woman. Phaedra loved George too, and could not bear to stay away from his funeral. As she sits before his wife, she knows that what she is about to reveal will change their lives forever….
-
-
wonderful
- By ellie on 17-09-14
-
Villa of Secrets
- By: Patricia Wilson
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rebecca Neumanner's marriage is on the brink of collapse as her desire to be a mother becomes an obsession. Then she receives news from her estranged family in Rhodes. Called back to the beautiful Greek island of her birth, she realises how little she knows of the grandmother she has eluded for over a decade. Bubba has never spoken of the Nazi occupation during her youth, but there have always been whispers. What desperate measures did she take that terrible day in 1944 when her family was ripped apart? Can the rumour she had blood on her own hands really be true? But Bubba intends to take her secrets to the grave.
-
-
Wow
- By mrs a j harding on 22-05-19
-
The Affair
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling children's book writer Angelica is amused and flattered at the attention of Jack, the owner of a vineyard in South Africa, whom she meets at a dinner party. With his easy charm and reputation as a ladies' man, Jack makes her feel good about herself - surely it can't do any harm to indulge in a mild email flirtation?
-
-
The Affair
- By Eileen on 25-09-10
-
The Swallow and the Hummingbird
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The war has ended, and Rita Fairweather is waiting for George Bolton, her childhood sweetheart, to return home to Devon. She wants their future to be a continuing reassurance of their past. But George comes back as a man changed by the horrors he has experienced. Unable to settle back into a small-town life, George decides to travel to Argentina. And Rita promises to wait. But George faces irresistible temptation and an agonising choice. As the years pass, Rita keeps her word, but how long should she wait for the love of the life?
-
-
another tangle of great fiction from this author.
- By Julie47 on 18-10-21
-
The Dandelion Years
- By: Erica James
- Narrated by: Emma Gregory, Lee Maxwell Simpson
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ashcombe was the most beautiful house Saskia had ever seen as a little girl, providing a perfect sanctuary to hide from the tragedy which shattered her childhood. Now an adult, Saskia is still living at Ashcombe and, as a book restorer ,devotes her days tending to broken, battered books. When she discovers a notebook carefully concealed in an old Bible, Saskia finds herself drawn into a heart-rending tale of wartime love....
-
-
Lovely story nicely read
- By Mr S Gregory on 30-06-15
-
The Gypsy Madonna
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Glen McCready
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When elegant Anouk, a dealer in American antiques, dies unexpectedly, she leaves the Metropolitan museum an uncatalogued, multimillion-dollar painting by Titian. Her son, Mischa, had no idea she had even owned it and becomes determined to discover the story behind the painting. This mystery sends him on the trail of his own history, back to the French village of his childhood. There he hopes to uncover the origins of the Gypsy Madonna; he never expects to find himself.
-
-
You will enjoy this book.
- By louise on 02-07-22
-
The House by the Sea
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the magnificent Tuscan villa near her village. When the owner’s son invites her inside, Floriana knows that her destiny is there, with him. But as they grow up, things begin to change. Miles away on the Devon coastline, Marina’s hotel has fallen on hard times. The arrival of Rafael Santoro, artist-in-residence, seems to bring peace in Marina’s family. But Rafa is not who he seems....
-
-
a very satisfying read!
- By A.G.Raynor-Krill on 02-09-12
-
The Girl on the Cliff
- By: Lucinda Riley
- Narrated by: Gerri Halligan
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Troubled by recent loss, Grania Ryan has returned to Ireland and the arms of her loving family. It is here, on a cliff edge, that she first meets a young girl, Aurora. Strangely drawn to Aurora, Grania discovers that their families are deeply entwined. From a bittersweet romance in wartime London to a troubled relationship in contemporary New York, the Ryans and the Lisles have been entangled for a century.
-
-
Interesting Family Saga
- By Amazon Customer on 19-07-13
-
The Temptation of Gracie
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gracie Burton is a grandmother living quietly in Devon. She has rarely left the village over the past 40 years. Her daughter, Carina, is immensely high-powered, with her own fast-paced business in London. She has very little time for her 17-year-old daughter, Anastasia, away at boarding school, and even less time for her ageing mother. In many ways, the three of them barely know each other.
-
-
Brilliant from start to finish!
- By Shropshire lass on 03-08-18
-
The Butterfly Box
- By: Santa Montefiore
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 21 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Federica is moved from Chile to Cornwall when her parents separate, and all she has left of the relationship she cherished with her father is a wooden box, which has a secret beauty hidden within. Swiftly embraced into the eccentric Appleby family, it isn’t long before Federica falls for her friend’s older brother, Sam, who barely notices the little girl until it is too late. Years later, from the sanctuary of a seemingly perfect marriage, Federica embarks on a painful journey of self-discovery. Will she finally learn the true lesson of the butterfly box?
-
-
Loved it !!..
- By Amazon Customer on 23-03-21
Summary
Eva Gatsby has often wondered about her grandfather Lawrence's past, and exactly what happened to him in Burma during the Second World War.
But it is only when Eva's job as an antiques dealer suddenly requires a trip to Mandalay that Lawrence finally breaks his silence and asks her to return a mysterious artefact of his own - a chinthe - to its rightful owner. As Eva arrives in Burma her mission soon proves dangerously complicated, and the treasure she is guarding becomes the centre of a scandal that will have far-reaching consequences. Caught between loyalty and integrity, Eva is determined to find the truth about her grandfather's past, of her own family origins, and of the red-eyed chinthe itself - enigmatic symbol of the riches of Mandalay.
More from the same
What listeners say about Return to Mandalay
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- suet
- 07-07-14
Magical East
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Brilliant story, beautifully written and narrated. I have read another two of Rosanna Ley's books and enjoyed them but this is definitely the best.
What did you like best about this story?
The way the story moved from one decade to another with such ease and the twists and turns in the adventure.
What about Sandra Duncan and Gareth Armstrong ’s performance did you like?
Both narrated extremely well with such feeling fort their characters.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, but to pinpoint it would give too much away about the plot!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Margaret
- 14-10-19
Excellent
Kocham tę książkę. Tyle nowych i interesujących informacji o Birmie, historii ludziach żyjących w tej trudnej rzeczywistości na przełomie 100 lat. Bardzo polecam.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathy
- 26-03-17
Disappointing
I've listened to several of Rosanna Ley' books now, and have usually enjoyed the stories, the characters and the atmosphere/scene-setting the author creates. However I found this one less appealing in all these respects, which was a shame as I thought I'd enjoy hearing of the exotic and unusual location of Myanmar.
Possibly the rather 'clipped' accent of the main narrator had something to do with it.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- anthony
- 15-10-16
Good story - great narration
What did you like about this audiobook?
Straightforward story bought alive by great narration
How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?
I've an interest in Burma and this has piqued it further
What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?
Nothing ! Great performances, quality characters - change of narrator at points was a little confusing
Do you have any additional comments?
Ms Duncan yet again demonstrated great range of characters, excellent pronunciation, timing and pace
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jenny
- 23-02-16
Excellent Book
My second time of reading and still found it enjoyable. Would highly recommend. Excellent narrators.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- sdk
- 22-01-16
Beautiful novel
Return to Mandalay is a wonderful and touching love story in the past and present, connecting families in a special way. It touches some history on Myanmar which sometimes gave me the feeling I wanted to go there.
It is a story about love, loss, promises, jealousy, coping, faith and hope.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- P. S. Young
- 22-03-15
Didn't do it for me
What disappointed you about Return to Mandalay?
I bought this because I thought it was a thriller/mystery but it turned out to be more chick lit. Predictable, cliched, unimaginative, writing, what you might expect of romantic fiction. Might suit people who like that genre, but didn't do it for me.
What will your next listen be?
Something better written.
Would you be willing to try another one of Sandra Duncan and Gareth Armstrong ’s performances?
Not really.
Any additional comments?
I found the reading dreary - the heroine came across as limp and wet, and the male charecters stereotypical andtwo-dimensional.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris Key
- 19-07-17
Very slow plot and unimaginative language.
A very laboured plot and it feels like pointless language and sentences added to extend the length of the story.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sally
- 23-05-22
loved it
I wasn't sure at first because it seemed a different approach for Rosanna Ley but loved the story Nd the message it told
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Abbey
- 03-03-22
Fabulous storytelling
A magical book. Beautifully written with fabulous descriptions of life in Burma during the Second World War. Also wonderful descriptions of Dorset. The characterisation is wonderful.
I cannot praise more highly both the quality of this audiobook or the narration.
Highly recommend