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The Cypress Maze
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire, Ruth Redman
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
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The Cypress Maze
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Summary
In this haunting tale from the bestselling author of The Storyteller of Casablanca, Beatrice kept a wartime secret to protect the innocent. Now, could telling it set her free?
Tuscany, 1943. Stranded in war-ravaged Italy, Beatrice’s dream of an escapist year teaching English is shattered. Granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, she seeks refuge in Francesca and Edoardo’s beautiful walled garden, hidden from the outside world, with an elaborate cypress maze at its heart.
But Beatrice is not the only one seeking an escape here. Francesca has brought children to the safety of the house, as well as other adults, all of them seeking sanctuary on the estate with its mysterious maze. As the war closes in, the residents are forced to witness—and do—unthinkable things…
2015. Tess arrives at the villa raw from the agonising loss of her husband. Beatrice, now custodian, guides her to the solace of its gardens, where Tess begins to heal. But all hope of peace is shattered by the arrival of Marco, the estate’s absent owner, who wants nothing more than to hand it over to developers.
Distraught, Beatrice realises she must finally reveal the villa’s painful past if she wants to save it. As the extraordinary story unfolds, Tess realises that Villa delle Colombe is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. Can she convince Marco to give it a new lease of life—and find a way back to happiness herself?
Critic reviews
“A poignant, luminous tale.”—Woman's Own
"Valpy’s writing is beautiful, and she makes this villa, with its spectacular garden and, especially, the cypress maze at the heart of it, come to life.”—Historical Novels Review
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What listeners say about The Cypress Maze
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marjorie Willcox
- 17-02-24
Wonderful book
Oh my, I was captivated by this beautifully crafted & finely narrated book. Set in Tuscany during WW2 & 2015 the dual timeline is skilfully dealt with & equally engaging both in both eras. The descriptions of the villa, & environs in which it is set, paints a picture in your mind. The characters are brought to life too & you will root for them all as they battle through war which brings pain & loss. But above all it’s about human endurance & selfless love. Ultimately uplifting , I am sad it is finished!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Norma Miles
- 15-11-23
"A fiddle inside a mystery inside an enigma."
After the death of Tess' beloved husband, she simply wants peace to recover so goes to Tuscany to stay with an old school friend of her grandmother. Beatrice. Crane has lived in the villa caring for a large estate with an English garden and a dark cypress maze since before the start of World War II and she, too, holds memories of a lost love. With alternate recollections from present day Tess and those war time experiences recounted by the now elderly Beatrice, far more than just two simple romances emerge and are relived. The whole book is a three dimensional and very personal snapshot of a community bound together by affection, facing the rigours of oppression and fear with kindness and generosity.
This is a beautiful book in the way it is written, the sentiments evoked and the people portrayed, so real that even the plants growing in the garden glowed in bright colours in this reader's minds eye. Not the usual type of book that i read, I had expected sentimentality but it was not there. It felt more like truth.
Two narrators, one for each time period, Henrietta Meire and Ruth Redman. Both gave stellar performances, with fine modulation, good pacing and just be right touch of emotional content. They helped to further enhance an already near perfect novel. This is a book I will remember and treasure well into the future.
Highly Recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 03-02-24
A wonderful story of love & forgiveness
Beautifully written & narrated. Sad but also joyous. It is a wonderful story and a fabulous setting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S S.
- 20-10-23
Good story line
Took me a while to realise that the narration seemed rushed at first thought I’d got it on the wrong speed. Didn’t feel the narration was relaxing but as I was listening to it whilst driving this helped keep me alert! I liked thé détail of the area and the garden. Overall a very good read
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Brown
- 12-10-23
Immersive
Felt totally drawn to the characters who experienced both love and loss in equal measure.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-04-24
Irritating narration
Description of the villa and life there was interesting but I’m afraid the story was rather weak
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jq
- 16-03-24
Promising storyline
The story of Beatrice was well written and narrated. However I didn't find Tess' depressing back story added anything to the main storyline and the dull narration of her part didn't help either.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- TAHIR SHABUDIN
- 20-11-23
Good but not great
Good story but it was readat a very slow tempo which I needed to speed up. The Italian accents are not great either, a bit too forced.
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