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The Tuscan Child
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble, Katy Sobey
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
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Summary
From New York Times best-selling author Rhys Bowen comes a haunting novel about a woman who braves her father's hidden past to discover his secrets....
In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal.
Nearly 30 years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Still dealing with the emotional wounds of her own personal trauma, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to Tuscany to understand her father's history - and maybe come to understand herself as well. Joanna soon discovers that some would prefer the past be left undisturbed, but she has come too far to let go of her father's secrets now....
Cover design by Shasti O'Leary Soudant
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What listeners say about The Tuscan Child
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- Mrs. C. Hunt
- 19-12-22
The Tuscan Child
This murder mystery flies back between a father's memory and a daughter's real time, although they seem to the in well and you don't get confused. It is lovely the way the to love stories between her father and his mother are taken up again by their children. Read brilliantly by Mary Sobey and Jonathan Keeble.
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- Southern Reader
- 11-11-19
Feel good ending
Enjoyed this story, being able to switch between reading and listening whilst walking was fantastic.
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1 person found this helpful
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- BarbaraM
- 31-07-18
Very enjoyable
I enjoyed the mystery, the clues and the eventual revelations. Rhys Bowen has a smooth writing style that is tinged with optimism.
The background, the setting of a WW2 and a modern Italy in rural Tuscany, is interesting, especially if you have a little WW2 Italian campaign knowledge. A very intense and brutal war largely overlooked by Hollywood.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Helen SJ
- 09-06-21
A lovely heartwarming tale.
This was a great book to read. Filled with loveable characters a a few not so loveable ones. A twisting turning tale filled with murder and intrigue, food, saints, sinners, lovers oh and more food and a bit of art!
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- C Cook
- 13-03-21
Very enjoyable.
I loved this story. It was beautifully written with vivid descriptions of the Italian countryside. Thank you.
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- S M.
- 27-01-22
A gripping and heartbreaking story
Such a well written and narrated story with enough basic historical fact to make it believable and gripping. Really recommend this.
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- Jacqui
- 24-11-21
Very enjoyable but a little predictable
Love her books and took this because the fabulous Jonathan Keeble was part narrator. As always he delivered.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Flint
- 18-10-21
I didn’t want it to end
I have enjoyed everything by this author but this book stood out as being one of the best. The story had me hooked from the earliest chapters and despite switching from one period of time and one set of characters to another, it was easy to follow and believable.
The narration was good and the male narrator was exceptional. He managed to bring the characters to life almost effortlessly and it was a joy to listen to. I’m sure I will return to this book again and again.
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- M. J. Packer
- 10-04-22
Unsympathetic
I think I may have enjoyed reading this book. Although Hugo’s narrative could have equally worked if it had preceded that of his daughter Joanna’s, the intertwining of his wartime escapade and her desire to discover his story after his death might have worked as a literary device on the page.
But in narration the story of an injured English officer hiding in the Tuscan hills, aided by the potentially widowed young Italian, was robbed of any sense of passion. The expressionless, cold voice(think a 1950s war film portrayal of a boorish upper class officer) made the growing romance feel flat, somewhat unlikely and essentially unbelievable.
It was rendered more so as it was interrupted by the story of Joanna, his orphaned daughter. An intelligent, aspiring lawyer in the post swinging 60s,sexual revolutionary 1970s, the intrigue surrounding her backstory also fell flat due to the insipid recounting. The narrator’s voice also sowed seeds of doubt, rising as it did with a pseudo-Australian questioning tone at the end of each sentence.
These narrators voices may just have worked, should the father and daughter stories have run consecutively. But as the story switched back and forth, they jarred against each other, leaving me bereft of any sympathy for the injured pilot who lost his wives and lover, as much as for his lost and lonely daughter.
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2 people found this helpful
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- CMH
- 03-11-21
Excellent
Jonathan Keeble is the main reason I selected this book as he’s an excellent narrator and his input didn’t let me down.
Katy Sobey was good too.
The story of two generations which jumped from the second world war in Italy to present day in UK and Italy, it worked well.
Overall an enjoyable narrative.
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