
Holy Fools
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Narrated by:
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Suzanne Bertish
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By:
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Joanne Harris
About this listen
In the year 1605, a young, pregnant widow seeks sanctuary at the Abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-mer. After the birth of her daughter, she takes up the veil, and a new name, Soeur Auguste. But the peace she has found is shattered five years later by the events that follow the death of her kind benefactress, the Reverend Mother.
When a new abbess arrives at Sainte Marie-de-la-mer, she does not arrive alone. With her is her personal confessor and spiritual guide, Pere Colombin, a man Soeur Auguste knows all too well. The newcomer is Guy LeMerle, now masquerading as a priest, and the one man she fears more than any other.
Soeur Auguste has a secret. Once she was l'Ailee, star performer of a troupe led by LeMerle, before betrayal forced her to change her identity.
But now the past has found her. To protect herself and her beloved child, l'Ailee will have to perform one last act of dazzling daring more audacious than any she has previously attempted.
©2004 Joanne Harris (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Dark but compelling
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Holy Fools
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The only reason that I did not give this audio book full marks is that the music at the chapter breaks is annoying and was recorded at a volume considerably louder than that of the reading. Thus, it's rather jarring to listen to.
Beautifully done, lovely reading.
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A mistake.
Could not make it past the third chapter. First of all, the only semi-interesting thing about the story (thought it could turn out to be semi gothic) is given up in the publisher's preview (and by the author in the first ten minutes)...I have been listening and listening but nothing is taking that plot line (that a medieval dancer had a child and became a nun in a cloister -- but is now faced with discovery) any farther than the shallow plot I just described. What KIND of book does this author want to write? Gentlemen and Players? (I might be getting the title slightly wrong) was TOTALLY different from this. The "Chocolat" series? (saw the movie -- book not available on Audible) was different from both....PLEASE, more Gentlemen & Players! (In my own personal book, "Holy Fools" qualifies for a "refund" from Audible.)
I thought the narrator was awful as well. It was like if SHE thought the book was awful and was just playing up its absurdity. I tried (was listening to this during a long drive), but I simply couldn't take the exaggerated delivery.
Audible should allow "half" stars and also "zero" stars. In my book (again -- NOT your book if you like 'trivialized' history), this deserved zero.
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