The Blue Castle - Unabridged

"The Blue Castle" is one of the few books author L.M. Montgomery (author of the "Anne of Green Gables" series) wrote for an adult audience. It is a romantic novel set in early 20th-century Ontario, Canada, that follows the emotional and romantic awakening of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old spinster trapped in a stifling, judgmental family. Valancy appears trapped, living a dull, joyless life while her relatives order her about. Her only escape is her imagination, where she dreams of a beautiful place she calls the Blue Castle-a symbol of freedom, love, and happiness.

Valancy's life changes dramatically when she is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition. Believing she has only a short time to live, she decides to cast off her family's control and live authentically for the first time. She leaves home to care for Cissy Gay, a dying young woman shunned by society, and befriends Barney Snaith, a mysterious man with a scandalous reputation. Written in 1926 and received with rapturous reviews, "The Blue Castle" is presented here in its original and unabridged format and is performed by renowned audiobook narrator Sara Nichols, best known for her readings of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," Willa Cather's Prairie Trilogy and the entire works of Jane Austen.