Blackberry and Wild Rose
A gripping and emotional read
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Blackberry and Wild Rose
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Narrated by:
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Heather Long
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Beth Eyre
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By:
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Sonia Velton
About this listen
For fans of Jessie Burton and Tracy Chevalier, a rich historical debut set among the Huguenot silk weavers of Spitalfields in the late 18th century.
WHEN ESTHER THOREL, the wife of a Huguenot silk-weaver, rescues Sara Kemp from a brothel she thinks she is doing God's will. Sara is not convinced being a maid is better than being a whore, but the chance to escape her grasping 'madam' is too good to refuse.
INSIDE THE THORELS' tall house in Spitalfields, where the strange cadence of the looms fills the attic, the two women forge an uneasy relationship. The physical intimacies of washing and dressing belie the reality: Sara despises her mistress's blindness to the hypocrisy of her household, while Esther is too wrapped up in her own secrets to see Sara as anything more than another charitable cause.
IT IS SILK that has Esther so distracted. For years she has painted her own designs, dreaming that one day her husband will weave them into reality. When he laughs at her ambition, she unwittingly sets in motion events that will change the fate of the whole Thorel household and set the scene for a devastating day of reckoning between her and Sara.
THE PRICE OF a piece of silk may prove more than either is able to pay.
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Critic reviews
"Sumptuous and moving." (Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions)
What listeners say about Blackberry and Wild Rose
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- R Jain
- 11-05-21
Beautifully written and performed, sad character building
There is only one fault I find in this, but that taints the rest of the work quite a bit. This is the kind of story where everyone except for the lead is just pure evil for no reason other than to further the woe-is-me plot. Yes, the world’s a hard place and was even harder in the 18th century. But people aren’t disney villains.
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2 people 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
- Mrs. A. Sweet
- 29-08-21
gripping story from beginning to end
I really enjoyed this story and could not have predicted the ending. I loved the raw emotions and the contrast between masters and their servants. I may have even learned a little about the art of weaving silk
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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
- PollyPops
- 26-01-21
transported back in time
I really enjoyed this book. it took a little while to get into all the characters but when I did it was hard to stop listening. I loved hearing the two narrators, it seemed to bring the book to life even more.
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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
- Clare0116
- 02-03-21
Journey back in time to old London
A cast of characters tell a fine story of the poor and prosperous people of London's Hugeunot silk weavers.
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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
- Harmony Whisperer
- 26-03-21
Give this book a listen, you won’t be disappointed.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I found the characters so human, having traits that strike sympathy and frustration.
Two great voice actresses giving the story depth and ease.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 26-03-19
Detailed & wrapped up in fine silk
Great narration of an intriguing story line. All the fine details and descriptions believable transporting you to another moment in time. Heartwarming and moving. Would definitely recommend.
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14 people 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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- helen
- 23-01-21
A Slow Burner
I really was not sure about how I felt about this book, I kept changing my mind as I continued to listen. In truth, apart from one character, the weaver who was hanged, none of the characters were redeemable. Each one in their own way was selfish, bringing on their own fate, while dragging others in to the outcome of their pious peaks of jealousy.
Yet, somehow, I was drawn to keep listening, perhaps by the skill of the narrator. I did like the book, but felt that something was not right about the outcome of it all.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Giulia
- 16-08-19
A little disappointing
This got off to a very promising start, but a disappointing middle and end! I spent years researching textile guild records, so was thrilled to discover a story set in that world - and it is impeccably researched in the technical details and the period context. The plot, however, was more like a dull, heavy woollen than a lustrous silk: it plodded along predictably, and suffered from a sad lack of likeable characters. I was rather hoping things might take a Sarah Waters-like, sapphic turn, but they did not. The two narrators were ok (though one of them made me feel like I was listening to The Archers), but they could not save this stodgy story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-12-19
Sweet title
The overall story was edged with sadness and reality and the reader hoped for a happy outcome which would have destroyed the reality. It was well read by the two women portraying the characters .
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Louise
- 22-12-20
Nice story
Lovely listen, enjoyed the ending but found the begining and middle of the story a tad slow.
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