Reader not as good as Earthly Joys.

I enjoyed the prequel so much (the story, good writing and an excellent reader who brought it to life) that when I finished it I immediately started listening to Virgin Earth. Unfortunately, David Thorpe is not as a good a reader and despite John The Younger being from Kent, he gave this character’s voice a touch of South West, a mistake repeated so often it began to grate (and this is a long book). So a good story and good writing let down by the reading not as good as the prequel’s.

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A great read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and marvelled at the research that must have gone into it.
it was well performed and it has encouraged me to reflect anew about many aspects related to this important period of our nations history.
I am happy to recommend it and the author to other listener.

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1 person found this helpful

Gardening and history

The narrator made this book interesting. Phillipa Gregory has done her research well. Like the first book Earthly Joys, if you enjoy gardening and have a love of history then listen to this book. I learnt so much from it. Not sure that I could have read it as it seemed very long but the narrator read it so well I was hooked right from the beginning.

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not her best work...

Disappointed at this sequel. The main character was a disaster. The ending was worse than a rush job... it just ended. Characters were killed off with no hint of a reason why. It felt like a blockbuster sequal that just ran out of money and steam.
The performance was poor, no continuity or research into the first performance, some effort into character distinguishing but a flat reading overall. I'm gutted to leave this review as I love this author.

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Revealing story.

So interesting to discover that the famous Ashmolean Museum was founded to some extent by the trickery of Ashmole. We gardeners should inform ourselves as to the genius of John Tradescant and his incredible contribution to our gardens through his legacy.

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Escape to another time

I listened to this book on audible and really enjoyed being transported to another time. Engrossing and emotional. Lovely book

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2 people found this helpful

Not as plant based

Not so concerned with plant gathering as Earthly Joys, but as fascinating as it covers many of the lesser skirmishes of the Civil War and the events in the New World. The narrator’s attempts at accents often grates, but the story keeps you want to keep listening until the sad ending.

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Brings the events of the time vividly to life

I listened to this immediately after finishing Earthly Joys eager to continue following the saga of the Tradescant family’s great contribution to horticulture that lives to this day. This second instalment is even more filled with eventful history than the earlier book and tells the story, with some fictional embellishments, of the life of John Tradescent the Younger. Like his father, he travelled to collect new plants to with visits to Virginia. First when it was a struggling colony and ten years later when Jamestown and the surrounding area had become well-established and more prosperous sadly at the expense of the native peoples. I guess that the part where John lived as a native is fictional but it does give an insight into the lives of the natives and how they lived in harmony with the environment.

Meanwhile, his long-suffering second wife looked after their business and his son and daughter from his first marriage. Coinciding with his first foray to the New World discontent about the profligacy and autocratic behaviour of King Charles gathered pace and much of the second half of the book is taken up by the struggles between the parliament and the King leading to civil war. John returned to a land in strife and by using his own family in the narrative to illustrate how families were divided by different allegiances the turmoil of the time is brought vividly to life.

I really enjoyed this book that made me feel part of the struggle, think about how society should be led and grieve over how native peoples have been driven from their lands and/or bonded into slavery.

The narrator is excellent

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3 people found this helpful

virgin Earth

story was vety good but I found it dragged on a bit toward the end. It could have been finished sooner.

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1 person found this helpful

Loved it

Absolutely loved it, great listening. Philippa Gregory at her best. Would definitely recommend this book.

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