The Favoured Child cover art

The Favoured Child

Wideacre, Book 2

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The Favoured Child

By: Philippa Gregory
Narrated by: Kate Rawson
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About this listen

Second in the best-selling Wideacre Trilogy, a compulsive drama set in the 18th century. By Philippa Gregory, the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover.

The Wideacre estate is bankrupt, the villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence. Equal claimants to the inheritance of Wideacre, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry.

Only one can be the favoured child. Only one can inherit the magical understanding between the land and the Lacey family that can make the Sussex village grow green again. Only one can be Beatrice Lacey's true heir.

©2006 Philippa Gregory (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Village

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All stars
Most relevant
This is the third of the wide acre stories and is equally as gripping as the first two.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and emotional, historical social content of the era.

Excellent listen

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Another interminable read, I skipped whole chapters to make it go faster. So much pessimism and disaster, nothing to redeem it, except the reading, which was OK. The final half hour is the first chapter of the next book in the series - well it doesn't much make you want to continue, same gloomy writing.

Interminable

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but no need! equally melodic and engaging voice and your are in Wideacre in no time at all
great story and lovely listening....Meridon here i come!

i was disappointed on hearing a new narrator.....

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To begin with I thought it was going to be a good book. I enjoyed the first in the series. The main female character is bullied all her life by her older sociopath brother. He beats her up. He kills her pet. He slashed a horses tendons so it has to be destroyed so she can’t ride it. He beats her friends and boyfriends up. He scares off her fiancé. She has premonitions, including about things he will do. Ages before it happens, the reader knows the brother is going to rape her and get her pregnant. All her life she is the silly little girl/woman, blaming herself ad nausium for her brother’s appalling behaviour. Even when he violently rapes her, she carries on crawling around, making excuses for him.
I don’t often give up on a book, but I just couldn’t stand this character any more. She’s totally unbelievable by this point in the book. I kept thinking ‘she’ll wake up…..she finally come round’, but NO, she carries on being sickeningly pathetic. She’s not just a weak character. He’s mind numbing my idiotic. I can’t listen to another word.

Gave up with 6hrs 48mins left.

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Starts off well with some great characters but too similar to the first book in parts. However the next book is great so bear with it (or skip and just go to Meridon if you really struggle with it)

Too much repetition at the end of the story

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