
Godmersham Park
A Novel of the Austen Family
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Narrated by:
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Bessie Carter
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By:
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Gill Hornby
About this listen
A richly imagined novel inspired by the true story of Anne Sharp, a governess who became very close with Jane Austen and her family by the #1 International bestselling-author of Miss Austen.
On January 21, 1804, Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to take up the position of governess. At thirty-one years old, she has no previous experience of either teaching or fine country houses. Her mother has died, and she has nowhere else to go. Anne is left with no choice. For her new charge—twelve-year-old Fanny Austen—Anne’s arrival is all novelty and excitement.
The governess role is a uniquely awkward one. Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the “upstairs” and “downstairs” members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant dismissal. Anne knows that she must never let down her guard.
When Mr. Edward Austen’s family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane. They write plays together, and enjoy long discussions. However, in the process, Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty, charming, and competent; she is clever too. Even her sleepy, complacent, mistress can hardly fail to notice.
Meanwhile Jane’s brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess. And from now on, Anne’s days at Godmersham Park are numbered.
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Shit, Actually
- The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema
- By: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Shit, Actually is a love letter and a breakup note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they're one and the same.
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How Woke
- By R. Squyres on 02-27-21
By: Lindy West
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Austen at Sea
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Rupert Graves
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.
By: Natalie Jenner
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The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse
- By: Tom Holt
- Narrated by: Dan Starkey, Daphne Kouma
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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The team of commercial sorcerers at Dawson, Ahriman & Dawson can help with any metaphysical engineering project, large or small (though by definition they all tend to be pretty large). They can also create massive great puddles of chaos that might one day swallow up the entire universe. Take, for example, the decision to recruit a certain bearded fellow whose previous work experience mainly involves reindeer and jingle bells. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but is he really the best person to save the world from Tiamat the Destroyer, who has literally gone ballistic?
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Painful. narration
- By Georgia Shopper on 12-18-23
By: Tom Holt
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The Monster Mash-Up
- A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery, Books 1-3
- By: Amanda M. Lee
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
- Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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This three-book omnibus includes the first three books in the Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery series. Included are: The Bigfoot Blunder, The Chupacabra Catastrophe and The Werewolf Whoops. Sit back and enjoy the ride. The laughter and tears will stick with you long after the story ends.
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Meh
- By Elbee on 08-30-21
By: Amanda M. Lee
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A.D. 30
- A Novel
- By: Ted Dekker
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine. A war that rages between kingdoms on the Earth and in the heart. The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all. Step back in time to the year of our Lord...AD 30. The outcast daughter of one of the most powerful Bedouin sheikhs in Arabia, Maviah is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father's warriors.
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Not just fiction!
- By Karen P on 11-15-14
By: Ted Dekker
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Mydworth Mysteries 1-3
- A Cosy Historical Mystery Compilation 1
- By: Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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From the authors of the best-selling series "Cherringham". This compilation contains episodes 1-3. "A shot in the dark": Sussex, England, 1929. Mydworth is a sleepy English market town just 50 miles from London. But things are about to liven up there considerably, when young Sir Harry Mortimer returns home from his government posting in Cairo, with his unconventional American wife - Kat Reilly. "A little Night murder": A young poacher is found shot dead in the woods of a grand estate near Mydworth. A sad accident it would seem.
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Rather simple mysteries
- By Amazon Customer on 11-16-21
By: Matthew Costello, and others
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The Jane Austen Society
- A Novel
- By: Natalie Jenner
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now, it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people - a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others - could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen.
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Why so much bad language? Ruined a good book
- By Anonymous User on 08-12-20
By: Natalie Jenner
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Second First Impressions
- A Novel
- By: Sally Thorne
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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An advertisement has been placed (again!) by the wealthy and eccentric Parloni Sisters. The salary is generous and the employers are 90 years old, so how hard could the job be? Well, none have lasted longer than a week. Most boys leave in tears. Ruthie Midona will work in Providence’s front office, and be at the Parlonis' beck and call, forever. That’s sort of her life plan. If Ruthie can run the place in her almost-retired bosses’ absence, with no hijinks/hiccups, she has a shot at becoming the new manager.
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Sweet New Adult Mood
- By Avid Reader on 05-03-21
By: Sally Thorne
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The Lost Girls of Paris
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden, Henrietta Meire, Candace Thaxton
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs - each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station. Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war.
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I don’t understand the good reviews
- By Heather on 03-30-19
By: Pam Jenoff
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Arrowood
- An Arrowood Mystery
- By: Mick Finlay
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 1895. London is scared. A killer haunts the city's streets. The poor are hungry. Crime bosses are taking control. The police force is stretched to the breaking point. The rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer. In the dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele, and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood.
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Dickens Meets Dashiell Hammett
- By Kathy B on 08-22-18
By: Mick Finlay
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The Go-Between
- By: L. P. Hartley
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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During the long, hot summer of 1900, young Leo Colston is invited to stay for a month at a lordly, aristocratic manor in Norfolk. There he falls in love with his friend's older sister, who commissions him to ferry secret messages to the local farmer, her lover. His naiveté sustains their affair until ultimately leading to an event that will change their lives irrevocably.
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Great walk back in time.
- By Linda Ward on 01-19-17
By: L. P. Hartley
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The Real Jane Austen
- A Life in Small Things
- By: Paula Byrne
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things offers a startlingly original look at the revered writer through a variety of key moments, scenes, and objects in her life and work. Going beyond previous traditional biographies which have traced Austen's daily life from Steventon to Bath to Chawton to Winchester, Paula Byrne's portrait - organized thematically and drawn from the most up-to-date scholarship and unexplored sources - explores the lives of Austen's extended family, friends, and acquaintances.
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I keep re-listening to it!
- By Frances K. Harville on 06-10-20
By: Paula Byrne
What listeners say about Godmersham Park
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- Renee Walker
- 02-20-23
Godmersham Park review
Loved the story, couldn’t put it down! If you love Jane Austen you will love reading about this friendship!
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- Anonymous User
- 01-16-23
Loved it!
Heard about it on Fi and Jane off air. Charming story that makes you understand the challenges of life in the late 1700 for a smart, poor woman.
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- ExArtProf
- 11-19-22
Well worth the listen
Gil Hornsby has an excellent sense of the manners and mores of the period. Her writing style imitates Jane Austin’s extremely well. The narrator was excellent, capturing the personalities and class differences of the characters. For me, there was a bit too much emphasis on the plays performed by family as part of the story. But, all in all the book is a well worth the listen.
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- melbo
- 11-29-23
Didn’t want it to end
This is a beautifully written and engaging novel. It’s an absolute treat for Austen lovers. We need more!
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- J. E.
- 03-30-23
OK...
Narration is excellent, but the story just fell flat for me. There were great characters, everything there for a great listen, but it never built up to get me really invested in all the characters.
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- RueRue
- 03-24-24
Story needs more Jane Austen
The story doesn’t really become interesting until the appearance of Jane Austen. The author does an excellent job of depicting the limited opportunities for women during that time. Excellent narrator.
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- Vijaya
- 01-30-23
Great book for Austin fans
I liked this book about Jane’s friend Anne
True to the mannerisms and lifestyle depicted by Jane
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1 person found this helpful
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- Melissas Bookshelf
- 11-04-22
Loved the audiobook version!
Godmersham Park is a delightful historical fiction based on the actual diary entries of Fanny Austen (Jane Austen’s niece), as well as correspondence from friends and family. It follows the story of Anne Sharp, Fanny’s governess, who came to work at Godmersham Park at the age of 31. With meticulous research and prose in the vein of Jane Austen, the author weaves a captivating tale of Jane’s beloved friend.
Anne’s story is fraught with loneliness and angst as she’s suddenly thrust into the role of governess with her mother’s death and father’s abandonment. Used to living a comfortable life, Anne finds it difficult to navigate her new role. While she finds twelve year old Fanny engaging and enjoyable, she figuratively walks a tightrope, not quite fitting in with the servants, but not equal to the family. She’s constantly on guard, measuring her words and actions to protect her position. This becomes even more precarious when Henry Austen takes a marked interest in her.
Anne’s also plagued with headaches and other health issues, and the Austen family goes to surprisingly great lengths to help their favorite governess. When Jane, her sister Cassandra, and mother come to stay at Godmersham Park, it’s a turning point in Anne’s life. She and Jane become the dearest of friends and for once Anne’s free of loneliness. Their friendship lasts throughout Jane’s life. I loved learning in the author’s note that a rare copy of Emma was given to Anne by Jane with a handwritten inscription to her dear friend.
Anne’s inner monologues were interesting, thoughtful, and at times melancholy. She’s clearly an intelligent woman sadly beholden to the whims of men and her employers. Anne’s and Jane’s friendship is delightful, but doesn’t come about until around two-thirds into the book. It’s more of a fascinating look at the lesser known figures of Jane’s siblings including Henry, Edward, Edward’s wife Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s sister Harriett as they interact with Anne.
I enjoyed learning more about these important figures in Jane Austen’s life. I also liked the interesting glimpses of day to day happenings at Godmersham Park. There’re plays as in Mansfield Park, sea bathing, excursions, lessons with Fanny, and a bit of a mystery as Anne’s past is slowly revealed. There’s also Anne’s ill-fated friendship with Henry.
I purchased an audiobook copy and loved listening to the narration. I liked the way the narrator distinguished each character and made them really come alive. She also injected just the right amount of emotion, which made listening enjoyable.
Definitely recommend to Janeites, i.e. lovers of all things Jane Austen and historical fiction fans. This book renewed my desire to keep a journal as Fanny’s little diaries have proven invaluable. I received advanced copies from AustenProse PR and the publisher. I also purchased an audiobook copy as well. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
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- Georgia Burns
- 04-18-25
This was an ideal respite for my troubled mind
I have read and loved all the Jane Austen books. I anticipated a disappointment. But it wasn’t. For a few hours, I disappeared into her world once more. It was a lovely experience.
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- Mary Elizabeth Herr
- 05-07-24
Terrible disappointment
It did not compare at all to Miss Austen. The reader debased it even more with annoying and shrill voices. Huge disappointment.
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1 person found this helpful