Showing results by publisher "SNR Audio" in Historical Fiction

Meet Orlando: a young nobleman in Elizabethan England, poet, lover, adventurer—and, after a transformational sleep, a woman. Spanning over 300 years of British history, Orlando bends the rules of time, gender, and narrative as its protagonist navigates shifting societies, identities, and expectations, all while seeking something elusive: the truth of the self. Playful, profound, and radically ahead of its time, Virginia Woolf's groundbreaking novel is part love letter, part satire, and part meditation on the fluid nature of existence.

When Candide is cast out of his sheltered life, he embarks on a journey filled with war, natural disasters, betrayal, and heartbreak—all while clinging to the optimistic philosophy of his mentor, Pangloss. As he travels across Europe and the Americas, encountering a bizarre array of characters and suffering the harsh realities of life, Candide’s faith in idealism is repeatedly tested. In this classic satire, Voltaire skewers the pretensions of philosophy, religion, and social systems, offering a compelling critique of human nature.

A priceless gem, a diamond from India imbued with religious significance, is stolen on the very night it is given as an eighteenth birthday present to a captivating heiress; and so the mystery begins. The rules for the golden age of crime novels are formed in The Moonstone – an English country house, a complex cast of characters, the bungling local constabulary, a celebrated sleuth and the reconstruction of the crime.

Mr. Chipping, the classics master at Brookfield School since 1870, takes listeners on a beguiling journey through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sometimes Chips, as he is affectionately known, is an old man who dreams by the fire; then he's a difficult young taskmaster schooling his students, or a middle-aged man encountering the lovely Katherine, whose "new woman" opinions work far-reaching changes in him.

England with the genteel south through the eyes of Margaret Hale, a strong-willed, intelligent young woman. When Margaret is forced to leave her tranquil life in rural Hampshire for the bustling, smoke-filled mill town of Milton, she is thrust into a world characterised by economic hardship and class disparity. Highly principled and seeing first-hand the devastating effects of industrialisation, Margaret clashes with proud mill owner John Thornton, whose views on capitalism and authority profoundly oppose her own.

Abbie Mackenzie dreamed of becoming a fine lady like her aristocratic grandmother, devoting herself to music and art. But at eighteen Abbie found a different dream, turning away from the promise of a comfortable life as a doctor’s wife to marry handsome, quiet Will Deal. Together, they eagerly accepted the challenge of homesteading in Nebraska territory, where the prairies stretched as far as the eye could see, and only the strongest survived for long.

The Complete Father Brown Collection: Books 1-5, read by the outstanding Nicholas Boulton, includes unabridged recordings of the complete works of Father Brown—G. K. Chesterton's beloved amateur sleuth.

Cherished by generations as a Christmas classic ever since it was first recorded and published, A Child's Christmas in Wales is Thomas's waxing, lyrical retelling of Christmas Day in a small Welsh town. Originally recorded by Thomas in 1952, this new recording is brought to life by renowned Welsh actor, Iwan Rheon.

After escaping a Confederate prison during the Civil War, a group of unlikely survivors is swept away to a mysterious, uncharted island. Stranded with nothing but their wits and resourcefulness, they must overcome natural dangers, build a new life, and unlock the island's hidden secrets. But as they discover strange clues and unexpected inventions, they begin to realize they may not be alone.

One of the most-studied pieces of satire in history, ‘A Modest Proposal’ is a darkly funny yet scathing critique of British colonialism from an Irish lens. First published in 1729 to much backlash, Swift goes to great lengths to illustrate a potential solution to poverty and overpopulation in Ireland: parents undergoing economic hardship ought to sell their children as food for the upper classes. A masterclass in irony, Swift delves into the financial benefits of his suggestion, even offering numerous ways to prepare babies for consumption.

A highly decorated English soldier and an acclaimed poet and novelist, Siegfried Sassoon won fame for his trilogy of fictionalized autobiographies that wonderfully capture the vanishing idylls of Edwardian England and the brutal realities of war. In this first novel of the semiautobiographical George Sherston trilogy, Sassoon wonderfully captures the vanishing idylls of the Edwardian English countryside.

Living immerses us in the daily lives of a group of ordinary people working in a post-WWI iron factory. Through fragmented perspectives, Green captures the beauty and chaos of everyday existence—love, loss, and the fleeting moments of joy amidst routine. As the characters navigate their lives, the line between their inner worlds and external realities blurs, revealing the quiet yet profound battles that define the human experience.

Step into the world of Alexandre Dumas, where honor, betrayal, love, and vengeance collide in stories that have captivated readers for generations. This essential collection includes two of Dumas’s most celebrated novels, showcasing his talent for crafting unforgettable characters, breathtaking plots, and timeless drama.

Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and will not reveal her lover’s identity. The scarlet letter A (for adultery) she has to wear on her clothes, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. She struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

Arkady Kirsanov is due to move back home after attending university, much to his father’s delight. He also brings with him a close friend, Eugene Barazov, who Arkady’s father warmly receives. But before long, tensions begin to rise in the household: Arkady and Eugene’s philosophies – promoting concepts such as nihilism – are beginning to make Arkady’s father uneasy. Their views are too radical – and they reject the traditional Russian life Arkady’s father so carefully created for himself and the family.

Overbearing Emmeline ‘Lucia’ Lucas is back yet again, leaving the small town of Riseholme to embrace the new and exciting social offerings of London. Having acquired a second home in the city with her husband, Peppino, Lucia immediately evaluates her avenues to climb the ranks to the highest social circles. All are not fooled by her shameless gambits, however, and we are introduced to a cast of astonished followers, including Stephen Merriall, who may not be as trustworthy as he appears.

In 1914 Paul Bumer and his classmates are marched to the local recruiting office by a sentimentally patriotic form-master. On a calm October day in 1918, only a few weeks before the Armistice, Paul will be the last of them to be killed.Here, he tells their story. A few years after publication, the Nazis would denounce and publicly burn Remarque's novel for insulting the heroic German army - in other words, for 'telling it like it was' for the common soldier on the front line where any notions of glory and national destiny were soon blasted away by the dehumanizing horror of modern warfare.

Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat, flees to England to escape the violence of his noble family’s past, only to be drawn back into the chaos of his homeland. Lucie Manette, the daughter of a former prisoner of the Bastille, becomes the emotional anchor for those around her, including the brilliant but disillusioned lawyer Sydney Carton.

Presented as a translation by Jean Francois Alden of Joan of Arc's page and secretary the Sieur Louis de Conte's memoirs, Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc first appeared as a serial in Harper's Magazine beginning in April of 1895. It is a panorama of stirring scenes that recount Joan's childhood in Domremy, the story of her voices, the fight for Orleans, the splendid march to Rheims, and more.

This treasured historical satire, played out in two very different socioeconomic worlds of 16th-century England, centers around the lives of two boys born in London on the same day: Edward, Prince of Wales and Tom Canty, a street beggar. During a chance encounter, the two realize they are identical and, as a lark, decide to exchange clothes and roles--a situation that briefly, but drastically, alters the lives of both youngsters.