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The Lady of the Rivers
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The Wideacre estate is bankrupt, the villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence. Equal claimants to the inheritance of Wideacre, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favoured child.
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Best-selling author Philippa Gregory begins a sweeping new series with the story of a poor, uneducated midwife named Alinor who is tempted by a forbidden love affair - but all too aware of the dangers awaiting a woman who dares to step out of the place society carved for her.
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1 out of 5 stars
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As a little girl Katherine of Aragon was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Henry VII of England, and was raised in the palace of the Alhambra, knowing that she would be queen of England. In 1501, the teenage Spanish princess arrives in her new kingdom, but the future is turned upside down with the death of her handsome young husband - only six months after the wedding. Transformed from beloved bride to superfluous widow, Katherine endures hardship and loneliness as the Tudor court slowly squeezes her out of royal circles.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Keep volume controls handy
- By Hayley on 2018-07-16
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The Boleyn Inheritance
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- Narrated by: Emilia Fox
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
The last Boleyn is Jane, Lady Rochford - widow of the disgraced George Boleyn. Caught in the intrigues of the Tudor court, she maneuvers for personal position as her family, in turn, tries to manipulate her. The king has married again; his bride is the deceptively astute Anne of Cleves. Her wits are tested as she senses a trap closing around her, with the Howards ready to take advantage of her fall.
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- Length: 26 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4 out of 5 stars 5
Philippa Gregory's first story in the best-selling Wideacre trilogy. A compelling tale of passion and intrigue set in the 18th century. From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover. Wideacre Hall, set in the heart of the English countryside, is the ancestral home that Beatrice Lacey loves. But as a woman of the 18th century, she has no right of inheritance. Corrupted by a world that mistreats women, she sets out to corrupt others.
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1 out of 5 stars
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
The Wideacre estate is bankrupt, the villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But in the Dower House, two children are being raised in protected innocence. Equal claimants to the inheritance of Wideacre, rivals for the love of the village, they are tied by a secret childhood betrothal but forbidden to marry. Only one can be the favoured child.
-
Meridon
- Wideacre, Book 3
- Written by: Philippa Gregory
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
The third volume in the best-selling Wideacre trilogy. Set in the 18th century, they launched the career of Philippa Gregory, the best-selling author of The Other Boleyn Girl and Three Sisters, Three Queens. Meridon, a desolate Romany girl, is determined to escape the hard poverty of her childhood. Riding bareback in a travelling show while her sister, Dandy, risks her life on the trapeze, Meridon dedicates herself to freeing them both from danger and want.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 4
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Story4 out of 5 stars 4
Best-selling author Philippa Gregory begins a sweeping new series with the story of a poor, uneducated midwife named Alinor who is tempted by a forbidden love affair - but all too aware of the dangers awaiting a woman who dares to step out of the place society carved for her.
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Characters
- By Trudy Bolduc on 2017-12-18
Publisher's Summary
Passion. Danger. Witchcraft....
The Lady of the Rivers is number-one New York Times best-selling author Philippa Gregory’s remarkable story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the Wars of the Roses.
Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death at the hands of the English rulers of France. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream.
Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire, Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.
The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of royal rivals. Not even their courage and loyalty can keep the House of Lancaster on the throne. Henry the king slides into a mysterious sleep; Margaret the queen turns to untrustworthy favorites for help; and Richard, Duke of York, threatens to overturn the whole kingdom for his rival dynasty.
Jacquetta fights for her king, her queen, and for her daughter, Elizabeth, for whom Jacquetta can sense an extraordinary and unexpected future: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York.
A sweeping, powerful story rich in passion and legend and drawing on years of research, The Lady of the Rivers tells the story of the real-life mother of the white queen.
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Overall
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars19
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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
- Anonymous User
- 2019-04-17
Interesting!
The plot is pretty good. I found that it was more interesting in the beginning and kind of dropped off later on. Overall, this is a fun little read for a commute and, if you like female leads, you'll probably like this!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- 2019-03-30
The Wheel of Fortune turneth...
Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment: good historical fiction is hard to find. Fortunately for us readers, Philippa Gregory comes through with her novel The Lady of the Rivers.
This novel is a well thought out piece of fiction that weaves magic and history with a delicate hand. My only complaint is that narrator Bianca Amato can be a tad dramatic and the production quality of the audio could have been better.
Very worth the read.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2018-10-29
If you love romance this is for you!
Following the life if the main character was extremely satisfying. So often you want more and to hear how the rest of a character's life goes. This story really gives you that perspective.
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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
- Pamela
- 2018-09-17
Absolutely Loved it!
I commute 2 1/2 hours a day and could not wait to get in the car to listen to what was going to happen next. #Audible1
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bonnie-Ann
- Norristown, PA, United States
- 2011-11-26
Philippa back on track
I was reluctant to download this book and devote time to it. Ms. Gregory's last book, The Red Queen, was weak both in story and in substance. I felt vested in the author's continuing telling of the War of the Roses characters and I knew I had some listening time so I committed the credit.
SO glad that I did ! The story of Jacquetta, Dowager Duchess of Bedford and mother to Elizabeth Wydville of "The White Queen," is fascinating in the extreme. This is, naturally, a novelization of her life, but Ms. Gregory fills in period details, politics and sociology in a beautiful blending of fact and fiction. The society's fixation on the unexplained as "witchcraft" is a theme of the novel which travels from Joan of Arc to the rise of King Edward IV (The Duke of York). It is a prequel to The Red and White Queen stories and both characters from the prior novels are re-introduced as children.
The narrator was outstanding. Her voice was extremely fluid and melodic. As I listened, I felt soothed while still being wholly entrapped in the story. It was like not being able to put a book down; I quite literally had my earbuds in my ears around the clock. Since I usually knit while listening, I got a LOT of work on my Christmas projects done. My sole criticism of the book is that, as with the Red Queen, there are a few too many repetitive passages -- I understood almost immediately that Jacquetta knew she shouldn't be telling fortunes with tarot cards; Ms. Gregory did NOT need to repeat the same passage of writing fifteen or twenty times.
All in all, a great read of a very good story. Good choice for fans of Philippa and also for those who want to learn about pre-Tudor English history without reading Allison Weir's non-fiction epics (which I also read).
151 of 157 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- pterion
- 2012-01-08
Absorbing tale of a fascinating life
I'm not a historian, so I can't vouch for it's accuracy, but I truly enjoyed this story of Jacquetta, princess of Luxembourg, Duchess of Bedford, and Lady Rivers. I'm far more familiar with the history of the Tudors and this novel acquainted me with their predecessors and the run-up to the War of the Roses between the Yorks and the Lancasters. I'm eager to use my next credit on Philippa Gregory's "The White Queen", the story of Jacquetta's daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, grandmother to Henry the VIII.
Bianca Amato does a fine job as the voice of Jacquetta.
I'm a fan of Philippa Gregory's works of historical fiction and I believe this novel is one of her best.
53 of 55 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lizzystick
- United States
- 2013-03-05
Very Intriguing Heroine!
I really enjoyed this book and want to go back and listen to the rest of the cousin's series.
I found myself consulting Wikipedia to check the accuracy of the story and also checked the English monarchs family tree to see what happened to Jacquetta's children and family.
I'm hooked, I just downloaded the White Queen...
12 of 12 people found this review 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
- dp
- 2011-12-18
Read this book first
Any additional comments?
Read this before The White Queen or The Red Queen. Makes a great series.
35 of 37 people found this review 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
- leah
- 2011-10-22
couldn't stop listening..
jacquetta is a very strong and likable leading character....the story was full of details without being too wordy....great story...and i love bianca amato's voice so it was a perfect match...i really enjoyed the book....
32 of 34 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- E. Willaims
- NC
- 2011-12-05
The End is the Beginning
What did you love best about The Lady of the Rivers?
No, I'm not speaking of Mary Queen of Scot's motto. I am speaking of the setting of Jacquetta of Luxembourg's story. This story begins with the end of Joan d'Arc' crusade and ends with her daughter Elizabeth's meeting of King Edward IV. The bulk of the book chronicles her close relationship with Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI. She is her chief lady in waiting, adviser and confidante; like a wise elder sister; witnessing Margaret's act's of folly concerning the Duke of Somerset and unwise policies, as well as her frustration with Henry's bouts with insanity. Jacquetta has her own close calls, being blessed with 'the sight' and times being what they were was almost condemned as a witch. That, along with marrying her late husband's squire and having a dozen or so children with him and not only witnessing but participating in the beginning of the Wars of the Roses make for a mildly interesting story. I find her a little more interesting than her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville and much more so than Margaret Beaufort.
As far as the audio, it is done well. Anyone who regular listens to Gregory's works knows that she usually uses Bianca Amato, who does well with them. Though, considering Jacquetta's French roots, Dagmara Dominczyk is another good choice.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Most interesting was Jacquetta's gift and her references to Melusine. Least interesting to me was Joan of Arc's part, which almost turned me off and was boring. I understand her significance in history, and at least she didn't dwell upon her like Margaret did in The Red Queen.
Which scene was your favorite?
The scene where Jacquetta put Edward in his place with her comments on how his mother was treated with dignity, and maintained hers while he and his partisans insulted her, her husband, and her son.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. Too long, and I like to have something to look forward to when I come home from work or have some time at lunch.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- MnNM
- somewhere New Mexico
- 2017-06-15
Great Narrator, but...
Anti-climactic. The Story sort of dragged on and on. Narrator kept me listening but feel somewhat gypped with regard to the story line. Preview was misleading, I was expecting a little more mystical content - reminiscent of The Mists of Avalon, but it wasn't.
19 of 20 people found this review 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
- K.D. Keenan
- Northern California
- 2016-04-03
Another Gregory Tour-de-Force
This is a prequel to "The White Queen," (Elizabeth Woodville), and follows the story of her mother, Jaquetta, duchess of Bedford. Jaquetta's family is descended from Melusina, a water goddess, and the women in her family have inherited the ability to "scry," or foresee the future--a talent that Jaquetta possesses. This little bit of fantasy is woven into the historical story, and in fact, Jaquetta was accused of witchcraft by King Richard III, although he never pursued the charges and it happens after this story comes to a close. Gregory takes us through the court intrigue and politics of the time, which led to the War of Roses and eventually to the Tudor Dynasty, with consummate skill. Once of the things I love about Gregory's work is that she is an "herstorical" writer; she relates history from the point of view of the people who had the least power over their circumstances--women--and shows how women have turned the tide of history again and again. A very enjoyable read.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Karen Schooley
- 2018-06-11
Review
I struggled to finish this book.... boring and predictable story...narrator was fine.. don't recommend this book....
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rgr
- Parkton, MD, US
- 2017-11-12
Disappointing
For me, this book was somewhat boring and I️ was glad to finish it. The storyline repeated itself throughout the book. The narrator has a lovely voice but was lacking in variety which may have been due to the content. Her voice is great to listen to if you are having trouble falling asleep. I would not recommend this book.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful