-
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard
- A Novel
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $22.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
An absorbing and compelling work of literary historical fiction, set in colonial Philadelphia, that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution - the story of Benjamin Franklin and his bastard son, and the women who loved them.
Sixteen-year-old Anne is an uneducated serving girl at the Penny Pot tavern when she first meets the commanding Benjamin Franklin. The time she spends with the brilliant young printer teases her curious mind, and the money he provides keeps her family from starving. But the ambitious Franklin is committed to someone else, a proper but infatuated woman named Deborah Read who becomes his common-law wife. At least Anne has William, her cherished infant son, to remind her of his father and to soften some of life's bleakness.
But growing up a bastard amid the squalor of Eades Alley isn't the life Anne wants for her only son. Acutely aware of the challenges facing them, she makes a heartbreaking sacrifice. She will give up William forever, allowing Benjamin and Deborah Franklin to raise him as their own.
Though she cannot be with him, Anne secretly watches out for her beloved child, daring to be close to him without revealing the truth about herself or his birth, and standing guard as Deborah Franklin struggles to accept her husband's bastard son as her own.
As the years pass, the bustling colonies grow and prosper, offering opportunities for wealth and power for a talented man like William's father. Benjamin's growing fame and connections as a scientist, writer, philosopher, businessman, and political genius open doors for the astute William as well, and eventually King George III appoints Benjamin's bastard son to the new position of Royal Governor of New Jersey. Anne's fortunes also rise. A shrewd woman of many talents, she builds a comfortable life of her own - yet nothing fills her with more joy or pride than her son's success and happiness.
But all that her accomplished son has achieved is threatened when the colonies - led by influential men, including his own father - begin the fight for independence. A steadfast, loyal subject of the British Crown, William cannot accept his father's passionate defense of the patriots' cause, and the enduring bond they share fractures, a heart-wrenching break that will forever haunt them and those they love.
A poignant tale of passion, family, love, and war, Benjamin Franklin's Bastard skillfully brings into focus a cast of remarkable characters drawn from real life, and vividly re-creates one of the most remarkable and thrilling periods of history - the birth of the American nation.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Monticello
- A Daughter and Her Father; A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the death of her beloved mother, Martha Jefferson spent five years abroad with her father, Thomas Jefferson, on his first diplomatic mission to France. Now, at 17, Jefferson's bright, handsome eldest daughter is returning to the lush hills of the family's beloved Virginia plantation, Monticello. While the large, beautiful estate is the same as she remembers, Martha has changed. The young girl who sailed to Europe is now a woman with a heart made heavy by a first love gone wrong.
-
-
Very good Narrator !
- By Roxie Reed on 05-23-24
-
Painting the Light
- A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Martha’s Vineyard, 1898. In her first life, Ida Russell had been a painter. Five years ago, she had confidently walked the halls of Boston’s renowned Museum School, enrolling in art courses that were once deemed “unthinkable” for women to take and showing a budding talent for watercolors. But no more. Ida Russell is now Ida Pease, resident of a seaside farm on Vineyard Haven and wife to Ezra, a once-charming man who has become an inattentive and altogether unreliable husband.
-
-
Slow the narrator to speed 8 and it’s beautifully read
- By Storytellersrus on 04-21-22
-
The Personal Librarian
- By: Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
-
-
A Treat For This Academic Librarian!
- By AlTonya on 07-14-21
By: Marie Benedict, and others
-
The President's Daughter
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, Bill Clinton
- Narrated by: Tony Goldwyn, Fajer Al-Kaisi, James Chen, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Keating, a one-time Navy SEAL—and a past president—has always defended his family as staunchly as he has his country. Now those defenses are under attack. A madman abducts Keating's teenage daughter, Melanie—turning every parent's deepest fear into a matter of national security. As the world watches in real time, Keating embarks on a one-man special-ops mission that tests his strengths: as a leader, a warrior, and a father.
-
-
Amurica, F--- Yeah!
- By Peter W. Kalnin on 06-10-21
By: James Patterson, and others
-
The Book Woman's Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Kim Michele Richardson
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
-
-
Good read!
- By Oh Sugar on 09-12-22
-
The Golem and the Jinni
- A Novel
- By: Helene Wecker
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.
-
-
Enchanting Debut Novel - Delicious!
- By Tango on 04-26-13
By: Helene Wecker
-
Monticello
- A Daughter and Her Father; A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the death of her beloved mother, Martha Jefferson spent five years abroad with her father, Thomas Jefferson, on his first diplomatic mission to France. Now, at 17, Jefferson's bright, handsome eldest daughter is returning to the lush hills of the family's beloved Virginia plantation, Monticello. While the large, beautiful estate is the same as she remembers, Martha has changed. The young girl who sailed to Europe is now a woman with a heart made heavy by a first love gone wrong.
-
-
Very good Narrator !
- By Roxie Reed on 05-23-24
-
Painting the Light
- A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Martha’s Vineyard, 1898. In her first life, Ida Russell had been a painter. Five years ago, she had confidently walked the halls of Boston’s renowned Museum School, enrolling in art courses that were once deemed “unthinkable” for women to take and showing a budding talent for watercolors. But no more. Ida Russell is now Ida Pease, resident of a seaside farm on Vineyard Haven and wife to Ezra, a once-charming man who has become an inattentive and altogether unreliable husband.
-
-
Slow the narrator to speed 8 and it’s beautifully read
- By Storytellersrus on 04-21-22
-
The Personal Librarian
- By: Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
-
-
A Treat For This Academic Librarian!
- By AlTonya on 07-14-21
By: Marie Benedict, and others
-
The President's Daughter
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, Bill Clinton
- Narrated by: Tony Goldwyn, Fajer Al-Kaisi, James Chen, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Keating, a one-time Navy SEAL—and a past president—has always defended his family as staunchly as he has his country. Now those defenses are under attack. A madman abducts Keating's teenage daughter, Melanie—turning every parent's deepest fear into a matter of national security. As the world watches in real time, Keating embarks on a one-man special-ops mission that tests his strengths: as a leader, a warrior, and a father.
-
-
Amurica, F--- Yeah!
- By Peter W. Kalnin on 06-10-21
By: James Patterson, and others
-
The Book Woman's Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Kim Michele Richardson
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
-
-
Good read!
- By Oh Sugar on 09-12-22
-
The Golem and the Jinni
- A Novel
- By: Helene Wecker
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.
-
-
Enchanting Debut Novel - Delicious!
- By Tango on 04-26-13
By: Helene Wecker
-
The Christie Affair
- A Novel
- By: Nina de Gramont
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie. The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those 11 mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?
-
-
Terrific Book!
- By robin hayes on 02-11-22
By: Nina de Gramont
-
The Midwife's Revolt
- The Midwife, Book 1
- By: Jodi Daynard
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a dark night in 1775, Lizzie Boylston is awakened by the sound of cannons. From a hill south of Boston, she watches as fires burn in Charlestown, in a battle that she soon discovers has claimed her husband's life.
-
-
Bravo
- By Angela on 11-20-15
By: Jodi Daynard
-
Three Daughters
- A Novel
- By: Consuelo Saah Baehr
- Narrated by: Karen Peakes
- Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in rural Palestine, just before the dawn of the 20th century, Miriam adores her father and is certain his love will protect her, but she soon finds that tradition overrides love. Uprooted by war, Miriam enters a world where the old constraints slip away with thrilling and disastrous results. Miriam's rebellious daughter, Nadia, is thrilled with the opportunity for a modern life that her elite education provides. But when she falls in love with an outsider, the clan reins her back with a shocking finality.
-
-
Thrilling
- By valerie on 12-18-14
-
March
- By: Geraldine Brooks
- Narrated by: Richard Easton
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs.
-
-
Great book, greatly narrated
- By Paula on 07-30-06
By: Geraldine Brooks
-
A Desperate Fortune
- By: Susanna Kearsley
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For nearly 300 years, the cryptic journal of Mary Dundas has kept its secrets. Now, amateur codebreaker Sara Thomas travels to Paris to crack the cipher.... Jacobite exile Mary Dundas is filled with longing - for freedom, for adventure, for the family she lost. When fate opens the door, Mary dares to set her foot on a path far more surprising and dangerous than she ever could have dreamed.
-
-
Suggestion to listen with volume low & treble off
- By KristenLashley on 08-14-15
By: Susanna Kearsley
-
The Witchfinder's Sister
- By: Beth Underdown
- Narrated by: Lucy Brownhill
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A thrilling debut novel, a literary historical thriller based on the devastating witch hunts in 1640s England conducted by "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins - for fans of Sarah Waters and Katherine Howe.
-
-
Excellent Historical Fiction
- By ilene on 05-30-17
By: Beth Underdown
-
The Solitary Envoy
- Heirs of Acadia, Book 1
- By: T. David Bunn
- Narrated by: Aimee Lilly
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Erica Langston's comfortable home and loving family carry no outward hint of the sorrows and fears faced by her Acadian forbears, but she soon discovers that similar determination and fortitude will be required of her. When the British invade the fledging nation called the United States and march into Washington D.C., leaving death and destruction in their wake, Erica is left to deal with the creditors circling around the crumbling family business.
By: T. David Bunn
-
Mr. Rochester
- By: Sarah Shoemaker
- Narrated by: Simon Shepherd
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 170 years, Edward Fairfax Rochester has stood as one of literature's most complex and captivating romantic heroes. Sometimes cruel, sometimes tender, Jane Eyre's mercurial master at Thornfield Hall has mesmerized, beguiled, and, yes, baffled fans of Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece for generations. But his own story has never been told.
-
-
Almost Great
- By Tiffany Lawrence on 09-28-17
By: Sarah Shoemaker
-
Phoebe's Light
- By: Suzanne Woods Fisher
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she's doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a "minder" on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man whom she loathes.
-
-
Loved the whole series!
- By Julie Ann on 05-27-19
-
Instruments of Darkness
- A Novel
- By: Imogen Robertson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. Not one to be bound by convention or to shy away from adventure, she recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer, and historical suspense's newest investigative duo is born.
-
-
Not The Best, But Not Too Bad...
- By MJ on 01-13-13
By: Imogen Robertson
-
The Promise
- By: May McGoldrick
- Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a desperate journey to America, Rebecca Neville promises the dying wife of the Earl of Stanmore to raise and care for her newborn son, James. Once in the New World, Rebecca begins her new life - as a mother.... Ten years later, the Earl of Stanmore learns of the fate of his family. He sends to the colonies for his young heir so he can raise him as a peer of the realm. With no intention of forsaking her vow, Rebecca returns to England with James to face a future without her beloved charge. But she must also face her tumultuous past....
-
-
a feelgood story
- By Alexandra on 02-15-18
By: May McGoldrick
-
The Hamilton Affair
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Cobbs
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hamilton was a bastard son, raised on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. He went to America to pursue his education. Along the way he became one of the American Revolution's most dashing - and unlikely - heroes. Adored by Washington, hated by Jefferson, Hamilton was a lightning rod: the most controversial leader of the American Revolution.
-
-
Colleen Marlo's voice sounds like a robot
- By Jessie Cowan on 08-09-16
By: Elizabeth Cobbs
Related to this topic
-
Monticello
- A Daughter and Her Father; A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the death of her beloved mother, Martha Jefferson spent five years abroad with her father, Thomas Jefferson, on his first diplomatic mission to France. Now, at 17, Jefferson's bright, handsome eldest daughter is returning to the lush hills of the family's beloved Virginia plantation, Monticello. While the large, beautiful estate is the same as she remembers, Martha has changed. The young girl who sailed to Europe is now a woman with a heart made heavy by a first love gone wrong.
-
-
Very good Narrator !
- By Roxie Reed on 05-23-24
-
The Taker
- By: Alma Katsu
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her...despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort.
-
-
Too dark for my taste
- By Margaret on 05-04-14
By: Alma Katsu
-
Instruments of Darkness
- A Novel
- By: Imogen Robertson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. Not one to be bound by convention or to shy away from adventure, she recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer, and historical suspense's newest investigative duo is born.
-
-
Not The Best, But Not Too Bad...
- By MJ on 01-13-13
By: Imogen Robertson
-
The Hamilton Affair
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Cobbs
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hamilton was a bastard son, raised on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. He went to America to pursue his education. Along the way he became one of the American Revolution's most dashing - and unlikely - heroes. Adored by Washington, hated by Jefferson, Hamilton was a lightning rod: the most controversial leader of the American Revolution.
-
-
Colleen Marlo's voice sounds like a robot
- By Jessie Cowan on 08-09-16
By: Elizabeth Cobbs
-
The Town House
- By: Norah Lofts
- Narrated by: Juliet Prague, Martyn Read
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"It was in the first week of October in the year 1391 that I first came face to face with the man who owned me… the man whose lightest word was to us, his villeins, weightier than the King’s law or the edicts of our Holy Father…” So began the story of Martin Reed - a serf whose resentment of the automatic rule of his feudal lord finally flared into open defiance.
-
-
Another winner by Norah Lofts
- By Bird Lady 147 on 10-03-17
By: Norah Lofts
-
Miss Wonderful
- Carsington Brothers, Book 1
- By: Loretta Chase
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
War hero Alistair Carsington really really loves women, and his romantic impulses have landed him in nearly as much danger as the Battle of Waterloo. To avoid his usual temptations and perhaps even repay the friend who saved his life, he's exiled himself to a place far from civilization - Derbyshire - in winter! Fate laughs at his good intentions and drives him straight into conflict with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, his match in tenacity, intelligence, and deviousness - who also happens to be wildly irresistible.
-
-
Couldnt finish
- By I like to shop on 06-18-16
By: Loretta Chase
-
Monticello
- A Daughter and Her Father; A Novel
- By: Sally Cabot Gunning
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the death of her beloved mother, Martha Jefferson spent five years abroad with her father, Thomas Jefferson, on his first diplomatic mission to France. Now, at 17, Jefferson's bright, handsome eldest daughter is returning to the lush hills of the family's beloved Virginia plantation, Monticello. While the large, beautiful estate is the same as she remembers, Martha has changed. The young girl who sailed to Europe is now a woman with a heart made heavy by a first love gone wrong.
-
-
Very good Narrator !
- By Roxie Reed on 05-23-24
-
The Taker
- By: Alma Katsu
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her...despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort.
-
-
Too dark for my taste
- By Margaret on 05-04-14
By: Alma Katsu
-
Instruments of Darkness
- A Novel
- By: Imogen Robertson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. Not one to be bound by convention or to shy away from adventure, she recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer, and historical suspense's newest investigative duo is born.
-
-
Not The Best, But Not Too Bad...
- By MJ on 01-13-13
By: Imogen Robertson
-
The Hamilton Affair
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Cobbs
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hamilton was a bastard son, raised on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. He went to America to pursue his education. Along the way he became one of the American Revolution's most dashing - and unlikely - heroes. Adored by Washington, hated by Jefferson, Hamilton was a lightning rod: the most controversial leader of the American Revolution.
-
-
Colleen Marlo's voice sounds like a robot
- By Jessie Cowan on 08-09-16
By: Elizabeth Cobbs
-
The Town House
- By: Norah Lofts
- Narrated by: Juliet Prague, Martyn Read
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"It was in the first week of October in the year 1391 that I first came face to face with the man who owned me… the man whose lightest word was to us, his villeins, weightier than the King’s law or the edicts of our Holy Father…” So began the story of Martin Reed - a serf whose resentment of the automatic rule of his feudal lord finally flared into open defiance.
-
-
Another winner by Norah Lofts
- By Bird Lady 147 on 10-03-17
By: Norah Lofts
-
Miss Wonderful
- Carsington Brothers, Book 1
- By: Loretta Chase
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
War hero Alistair Carsington really really loves women, and his romantic impulses have landed him in nearly as much danger as the Battle of Waterloo. To avoid his usual temptations and perhaps even repay the friend who saved his life, he's exiled himself to a place far from civilization - Derbyshire - in winter! Fate laughs at his good intentions and drives him straight into conflict with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, his match in tenacity, intelligence, and deviousness - who also happens to be wildly irresistible.
-
-
Couldnt finish
- By I like to shop on 06-18-16
By: Loretta Chase
-
A Little Thing Called Love
- By: Cathy Maxwell
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In New York Times best-selling author Cathy Maxwell's new novella, beautiful Jennifer Tarleton has no lack of noble suitors, but the only man who captures her attention is the one her father will never let her marry: Fyclan Morris. He's a brash adventurer, witty, courageous...and Irish! Even worse, her father blames her for their reversal of fortune. And it's a fortune - or, rather, his grandmother the fortune-teller - who foretold that Fyclan would meet "the one", a love prophesied in the stars.
-
-
Wonderful Feel Good Novella
- By Colleen on 10-17-22
By: Cathy Maxwell
-
Blindspot
- By a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise
- By: Jane Kamensky, Jill Lepore
- Narrated by: John Lee, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in boisterous, rebellious Boston on the eve of the American Revolution, Blindspot ingeniously weaves together the fictional stories of Stewart Jameson, a Scottish portrait painter and notorious libertine, and Fanny Easton, a fallen woman from one of Boston's most powerful families who disguises herself as a boy to become Jameson's defiant and seductive apprentice. Together with an African-born doctor, they investigate the death of the famous revolutionary leader Samuel Bradstreet.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Cariola on 03-06-09
By: Jane Kamensky, and others
-
The Twelfth Enchantment
- By: David Liss
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she is forced to maintain a shabby dignity as the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is on the cusp of accepting a life of misery, events take a stunning turn when a handsome stranger - the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron - arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. Suddenly her unfortunate circumstances are transformed in ways at once astonishing and seemingly impossible.
-
-
A Little Better than Just OK
- By Cariola on 02-10-12
By: David Liss
-
The Strangler Vine
- By: M. J. Carter
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
India, 1837: William Avery is a young soldier with few prospects except rotting away in campaigns in India; Jeremiah Blake is a secret political agent gone native, a genius at languages and disguises, disenchanted with the whole ethos of British rule, but who cannot resist the challenge of an unresolved mystery.
-
-
Don't Waste Time Reading Reviews-Just Buy the Book
- By Tracey Rains on 03-09-17
By: M. J. Carter
-
Mary
- Mrs. A. Lincoln
- By: Janis Cooke Newman
- Narrated by: Anne Buelteman
- Length: 26 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fascinating and intimate novel of the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, narrated by the First Lady herself. Mary Todd Lincoln is one of history's most misunderstood and enigmatic women. She was a political strategist, a supporter of emancipation, and a mother who survived the loss of three children and the assassination of her beloved husband. She also ran her family into debt, held séances in the White House, and was committed to an insane asylum - which is where Janis Cooke Newman's debut novel begins.
-
-
Intriguing and well-written, Worst editing EVER.
- By Danielle on 03-21-15
-
Buddenbrooks
- The Decline of a Family
- By: Thomas Mann
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 26 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1900, when Thomas Mann was 25, Buddenbrooks is a minutely imagined chronicle of four generations of a North German mercantile family - a work so true to life that it scandalized the author’s former neighbours in his native Lübeck.
-
-
Where Have You Been All My Life, Thomas Mann?
- By Virginia Waldron on 03-30-17
By: Thomas Mann
-
March
- By: Geraldine Brooks
- Narrated by: Richard Easton
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With "pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs.
-
-
Great book, greatly narrated
- By Paula on 07-30-06
By: Geraldine Brooks
-
Jack Maggs
- By: Peter Carey
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Jack Maggs
- By Kathleen on 04-04-05
By: Peter Carey
-
Lyon's Bride
- The Chattan Curse, Book 1
- By: Cathy Maxwell
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined - and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying - and having a son - without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever. Enter beautiful Thea Martin - a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride - a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.
-
-
Good Story - Wonderful Narrator
- By Lia on 11-19-12
By: Cathy Maxwell
-
Winter Collection
- Six Historical Short Stories (A Timeless Romance Anthology, Book 1)
- By: Sarah M. Eden, Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, and others
- Narrated by: Karen Peakes
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six award-winning authors have contributed brand new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Winter Collection. A collection unlike any other, listeners will love this compilation of six sweet historical romance novellas, set in varying eras, yet all with one thing in common: Romance.
-
-
Winter
- By Manila J. Dobbs on 08-12-23
By: Sarah M. Eden, and others
-
To Taste the Wine
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chelsea Myles earns her living as an actress with her uncle's theater troupe, performing cheap plays on the streets of London and picking the customers' pockets. Until one night, a robbery goes awry and Chelsea is left holding a purse with enough gold to buy her passage to Australia, and the chance of a fresh start. Once on board the vessel, Chelsea is intrigued by a fellow passenger, Quaid Tanner, who is returning to his vineyard in Australia. As much as Quaid admires the feisty, courageous Chelsea, circumstances seem destined to keep them apart.
-
-
Great story but too detailed in sex scenes for me
- By Private on 09-23-15
By: Fern Michaels
-
All That Makes Life Bright
- The Life and Love of Harriet Beecher Stowe
- By: Josi S. Kilpack
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Harriet Beecher marries Calvin Stowe on January 6, 1836, she is sure her future will be filled with romance, eventually a family, and continued opportunities to develop as a writer. Her husband, Calvin, is completely supportive and said she must be a literary woman. Harriet's sister, Catharine, worries she will lose her identity in marriage, but she is determined to preserve her independent spirit.
-
-
This book Really Helped me
- By AM on 08-01-24
By: Josi S. Kilpack
What listeners say about Benjamin Franklin's Bastard
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Linda Likes to Learn
- 02-21-17
Lecherous Franklin shown less than his legend.
Fascinating details of the real man behind the many accomplishments. Flighty as a bumblebee, never 'there' for his family, always in search of the next excitement - whether scientific or sexual - Franklin seems rightly pictured as monumental to the public but manipulative & forgetful of the family that suffered along with his tinkering, extended trips to England & France and inability to understand the wrecked psyches that he left in his wake. Yes, he took care of his bastard son - and the. bastard son of his son - as well as the third bastard in the family. But one must wonder about this bastard legacy that tab thru 3generations. A great historical novel, based on historical facts. Highly recommended
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Delah
- 11-25-13
I learned a lot
I had no idea about all of the things I learned about Ben Frank in this book. It was interesting, entertaining and educational all at the same time. I recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mare99
- 03-05-18
F
In most accounts of the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin appears as the American patriot, diplomat, and international playboy that he was. History has been mostly silent on his earlier life and family, and I have wondered why he seemed so alone. This novel, though fictionalized, appealed to me greatly. The framework - the bones, as it were- of what is in the historical record help me understand him better, and the story, the speculations Cabot makes about his personal life, make this an enjoyable and rewarding book. In short, I liked this book very much.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A real person
- 06-20-13
A wonderful adult portrayal of history
Would you listen to Benjamin Franklin's Bastard again? Why?
Maybe, I don't really relisten/reread books but I would consider it to follow more of the historical points.
What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?
Yes I thought it was well read and well animated
If you could rename Benjamin Franklin's Bastard, what would you call it?
William Franklin's mother and her trials in the time of matriarch power
Any additional comments?
I really enjoy historical fiction and I was keen with the way they portrayed the relationships that Franklin and Anne had. It was tasteful and not smutty. I also liked the sprinkling of historical points in the story. My favorite part was the ending and learning about Benjamin and William's relationship in connection to the Revolutionary War.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kay
- 07-07-14
Get to know a different side of an American hero
Would you listen to Benjamin Franklin's Bastard again? Why?
I don't really listen or read books again - too many new ones out there but on the basis of if this was a good listen - then yes I would. Good story and good narration.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Benjamin Franklin's Bastard?
That Ben Franklin married Deborah Reed out of obligation, duty and pity. Not what I understood from nonfiction books I have read. Interesting take on the author's part.
What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?
He did raise the timbre of his voice for the female characters he didn't do it so much that is was a distraction or irritation. Often male narrators when reading for a female character use an affectation that makes the character sound stupid, false and basically irritating. Colacci did not do this.
If you could take any character from Benjamin Franklin's Bastard out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Separately I would like to have dinner with Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Franklin. I would like to hear Deborah's side of the story in more detail and find out if she was really not as intelligent as the author made her seem. I always thought BF would marry someone of high intelligence not out of pity. And of course dinner with BF would for sure be an interesting experience.
Any additional comments?
Interesting way of looking at one of our founding fathers. I'm sure there was dramatization and fabrication of some events and feelings but still made for an interesting story. Liked the fictional character Ann, William's mother & Benjamin's mistress.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brad
- 03-13-17
Fictional misfiled as history
This is a novel, and is listed in the wrong section. This should be clearly labeled as what it is.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!