Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
A Kestrel for a Knave
- Narrated by: Gareth Bennett Ryan
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
A Kestrel for a Knave
Buy Now for £14.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk.
Billy identifies with her silent strength, and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life.
Barry Hines' acclaimed novel continues to reach new generations of teenagers and adults with its powerful story of survival in a tough, joyless world.
Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about A Kestrel for a Knave
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christian Hartshorne
- 14-08-22
Breathtaking
What an amazing novel. RIP Barry Hines you deserve the world. I wish you could see the impact of this book and hope your family well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian M.
- 02-10-22
A childhood memory brought back to life
I haven't read this since I was at school in the 1970's and I recently rewatched the film and downloaded the book. I appreciated the story and the social history so much more than I did in my youth. I would recommend others who studied it at O Level GCSE do the same.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Clive Willet
- 10-10-23
Rural Encounters Reality.
A wonderful story which when faced with harsh realities of life descends into sad and poor
Choices.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- keith
- 07-05-17
Great book and film
Would you listen to A Kestrel for a Knave again? Why?
Yes because I love this book
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Kestrel for a Knave?
When mr farthing watched billy fly the hawk and the sports teacher mr sugdens football game
What does Gareth Bennett Ryan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Great accents
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It's sad in places but a great listen
Any additional comments?
No
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Seven of nine
- 23-08-24
Brilliant, must be read
Loved this book when I read it at school. Listen again….I feel so bad for billy, his pain is contagious.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- george applegate jnr
- 08-02-20
I've not read literature since school
this takes me back to English literature at school in the mid 90s where we consumed all the classics, I wish this could have been one of them., it's so well written I felt as though I could relate to how the pe teacher would treat the less able kids,.how harsh life can be as a lonely kid growing up under difficult circumstances but finding amongst all the myre an outlet that have him some enjoyment. i hope the author Barry reads these reviews on Amazon and cherishes them as this is a true classic up there with Angela's ashes or of mice and men...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elizabeth Rigney
- 29-09-23
Just Wow
Just wow. I've just finished this and I have to applaud, not just this beautiful book, but also, the narration. The narration was just perfect. Absolutely perfect. I finished it in two sittings and I'm positive that it will stick in my mind for a long time from now. It has made its way into my top five favourite books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- mj
- 22-05-18
A brilliant story
Poor Billy, what a lad. Great story, well narrated and nice to have the notes at the end
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan Knowles
- 05-06-21
Jonathan
Great book couldn’t listening did this for GCSE discovered the narration through Graham Norton’s book club
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-10-23
Better than the film
I first watched Kes when the school TV was wheeled during my last year of Prinary School, and the syory of Billy and Kes has stuck with me ever since. Brought up in tge North of England during the mid 70's what we watched that day just seemed normal and thirty year's during the age of mobile phones and social media I made both my children watch Kes too. they both loved it, and I hope that when the time comes, Kes will ve watched by my grandchildren too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!