Alchemy and Meggy Swann
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Narrated by:
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Katherine Kellgren
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By:
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Karen Cushman
About this listen
Fans of Karen Cushman's witty, satisfying novels will welcome Meggy Swann, newly come to London with her only friend, a goose named Louise. Meggy's mother was glad to be rid of her; her father, who sent for her, doesn't want her after all. Meggy is appalled by London, dirty and noisy, full of rogues and thieves, and difficult to get around in - not that getting around is ever easy for someone who walks with the help of two sticks.
Just as her alchemist father pursues his great work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation. Earthy and colorful, Elizabethan London has its dark side, but it also has gifts in store for Meggy Swann.
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Story
Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy by introducing Beka Cooper, an amazing young woman who lived 200 years before Pierce's popular Alanna character. For the first time, Pierce employs first-person narration in a novel, bringing readers even closer to a character they will love for her unusual talents and tough personality.
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love it
- By Clara on 07-26-08
By: Tamora Pierce
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The Book of Boy
- By: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Boy has always been relegated to the outskirts of his small village. With a large hump on his back, a mysterious past, and a tendency to talk to animals, he is often mocked and abused by the other young people in his town. Until the arrival of a shadowy pilgrim named Secondus. Impressed with Boy's climbing and jumping abilities, Secondus engages Boy as his servant, pulling him into an expedition across Europe to gather the seven precious relics of Saint Peter.
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What an adventure!!
- By Dana on 05-28-20
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Tess of the Road
- By: Rachel Hartman
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is...different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can't seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. Tess's family decide the only path for her is a nunnery. But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She's not running away, she's running towards something.
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Beautiful and Boring, Both.
- By Ryan on 04-05-19
By: Rachel Hartman
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The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
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I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
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Tulip Fever
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Rula Lenska
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Seventeenth-century Amsterdam is a city in the grip of tulip mania, basking in the wealth it has generated. Sophia’s husband Cornelis, an ageing merchant, is among those grown rich from this exotic new flower. To celebrate, he commissions a talented young artist to paint him with his young bride. But as the portrait grows, so does the passion between Sophia and the painter; and as ambitions, desires and dreams breed an intricate deception, their reckless gamble propels their lives towards a thrilling and tragic conclusion.
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Very interesting book
- By Kevin Crumpton on 01-31-17
By: Deborah Moggach
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Jack Maggs
- By: Peter Carey
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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With scars on his back and silver in his pocket, the huge figure of Jack Maggs strides across the rich landscape of 19th century London. As this enigmatic man moves through its streets and houses, his single-minded quest to find his son will engender love, deceit, and vengeance in the lives around him.
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Jack Maggs
- By Kathleen on 04-04-05
By: Peter Carey
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Wicked
- The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
- By: Gregory Maguire
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Heralded as an instant classic of fantasy literature, Maguire has written a wonderfully imaginative retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.
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It's not easy being green
- By PangaeaReads on 07-30-08
By: Gregory Maguire
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The Ashes of London
- By: Andrew Taylor
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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London, September 1666. The Great Fire rages through the city, consuming everything in its path. Even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul's is engulfed in flames and reduced to ruins. Among the crowds watching its destruction is James Marwood, son of a disgraced printer and reluctant government informer. In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul's, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man's body has been mutilated, and his thumbs have been tied behind his back.
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Entertaining Historical Fiction
- By Simone on 05-01-17
By: Andrew Taylor
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The Serpent Garden
- By: Judith Merkle Riley
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Susanna Dallet is the daughter of a Flemish painter and wife to a philandering husband, living in the court of Henry VIII. When her husband is murdered, Susanna is suddenly left with a household to provide for and nothing to her name. Her days of anonymity are over when Susanna finds that guild rules preventing women from working do not apply at the king’s court, and she manages to secure a position as a miniature-portrait painter. Before long, she has not only made a name for herself, she is close to those who surround Princess Mary. But even in this lofty company, Susanna is not safe....
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DON'T FALL FOR THE PRINT VERSION AMAZON REVIEWS
- By The Louligan on 03-06-14
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Finnegans Wake
- By: James Joyce
- Narrated by: Barry McGovern, Marcella Riordan
- Length: 29 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Finnegans Wake is the greatest challenge in 20th-century literature. Who is Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker? And what did he get up to in Phoenix Park? And what did Anna Livia Plurabelle have to say about it? In the rich nighttime and the language of dreams, here are history, anecdote, myth, folk tale and, above all, a wondrous sense of humor, colored by a clear sense of humanity. In this exceptional reading by the Irish actor Barry McGovern, with Marcella Riordan, the world of the Wake is more accessible than ever before.
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The keys to. Given!
- By hyand on 06-16-21
By: James Joyce
What listeners say about Alchemy and Meggy Swann
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Talar Asdourian
- 11-15-18
I love this book! it was very interesting
it was very interesting to hear from Meggy's point of view, and the story was very well written
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- LCNanny
- 06-16-16
Higly recomended
If you could sum up Alchemy and Meggy Swann in three words, what would they be?
This is a story about the alchemy of the human spirit. Meggy Swann makes the transformation from a hidden away defensive crippled girl, to a kind and generous, strong and confident young woman as she moves from her mother’s house in the country to her father’s house in the city of London.
What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Katherine Kellgren’s voice lends itself well to that of an adolescent teenage girl, and her narration is faultless for all other character, as always.
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2 people found this helpful
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- BOOKNUTZ
- 05-31-20
great!
Great Read! I have read all of Karen Cushman's books and love them! It's a must read!
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- Josie
- 01-01-12
Shrill reader; sensitive author
I was very impressed by the realistic view of Elizabethan London. Also by the no-nonsense approach to the protagonist's life. The portrayal of a person with a disability as neither sappily brave a-la Tiny Tim nor evil nor magically cured at the end is refreshing, highly unusual and shows remarkable insight, emotional subtlety and sensitivity on the part of the author. The language had a great feel of the time.
I have only two complaints. The book was just a little darker than I could have wished, and the reader was way too dramatic. Her drama was perfect for dramatic parts, but she tended to use a semi-hysterical voice to express minor quandaries, which put my teeth on edge a lot.
Overall a high quality book, and one I would strongly recommend for the 10 to 18 set. (I am loooong past that!)
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1 person found this helpful
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- Piratenationgirl
- 04-09-15
Great story, not my favorite narration
If you could sum up Alchemy and Meggy Swann in three words, what would they be?
Really fun coming of age story about a girl who had to learn to "stand on her own two feet" even when they don't work quite as well as they should. Meggy learns that family doesn't equal love and safety, but that finding good friends to help you through life are a wonderful gift.
Did Katherine Kellgren do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Wasn't a big fan of the narration, especially did not enjoy her representation of Meggy. But didn't "not" enjoy it enough to stop listening. I've read the book several times on my own and simply enjoy the story itself.
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