The Convert
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Nicholas Guy Smith
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By:
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Stefan Hertmans
About this listen
Finalist for the 2020 National Jewish Book Awards
In this dazzling work of historical fiction, the Man Booker International long-listed author of War and Turpentine reconstructs the tragic story of a medieval noblewoman who leaves her home and family for the love of a Jewish boy.
In 11th-century France, Vigdis Adelaïs, a young woman from a prosperous Christian family, falls in love with David Todros, a rabbi’s son and yeshiva student. To be together, the couple must flee their city, and Vigdis must renounce her life of privilege and comfort. Pursued by her father’s knights and in constant danger of betrayal, the lovers embark on a dangerous journey to the south of France, only to find their brief happiness destroyed by the vicious wave of anti-Semitism sweeping through Europe with the onset of the First Crusade.
What begins as a story of forbidden love evolves into a globe-trotting trek spanning continents, as Vigdis undertakes an epic journey to Cairo and back, enduring the unimaginable in hopes of finding her lost children.
Based on two fragments from the Cairo Genizah - a repository of more than 300,000 manuscripts and documents stored in the upper chamber of a synagogue in Old Cairo - Stefan Hertmans has pieced together a remarkable work of imagination, re-creating the tragic story of two star-crossed lovers whose steps he retraces almost a millennium later. Blending fact and fiction, and with immense imagination and stylistic ingenuity, Hertmans painstakingly depicts Vigdis' terrible trials, bringing the Middle Ages to life and illuminating a chaotic world of love and hate.
©2020 Stefan Hertmans (P)2020 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Extraordinarly good.... An astonishing take.... Hertmans conjures the medieval world with the same sensuous detailing that was so effective in War and Turpentine." (The Sunday Times London)
"Constructed with delicacy, lyricism, and care.... The book has a quiet intimacy to it." (Kirkus Reviews)
“[A] commanding historical novel...[that] will satisfy readers willing to be swept away into a starkly different time.” (Publishers Weekly)
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Starts slowly, gets better
- By TabithaD on 02-16-24
By: Catherine Lloyd
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The Wife's Tale
- A Personal History
- By: Aida Edemariam
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this indelible memoir of the life of her remarkable 95-year-old grandmother, Guardian journalist Aida Edemariam tells the story of modern Ethiopia - a nation that underwent a tumultuous transformation from feudalism to monarchy to Marxist revolution to democracy, over the course of one century. Filled with a vivid cast of characters - emperors and empresses, priests and scholars, monks and nuns, archbishops and slaves, Marxist revolutionaries and wartime double agents - The Wife's Tale introduces a woman both imperious and vulnerable.
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A Look At Ethiopia
- By Jean on 07-15-18
By: Aida Edemariam
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Anticipation
- A Novel
- By: Melodie Winawer
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy, Samantha Desz, Jonathan Davis, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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From the author of the “engrossing historical epic” (Booklist) The Scribe of Siena comes a thrilling tale set in the crumbling city of Mystras, Greece, in which a scientist’s vacation with her young son quickly turns into a fight for their lives after they cross paths with a man out of time.
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Historical novel with a twist
- By Jbbee on 07-05-22
By: Melodie Winawer
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The Unreal and the Real
- Selected Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin, Volume One: Where on Earth
- By: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Tandy Cronyn
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The Unreal and the Real is a major event not to be missed. In this two-volume selection of Ursula K. Le Guin's best short stories--as selected by the National Book Award winning author herself--the reader will be delighted, provoked, amused, and faced with the sharp, satirical voice of one of the best short story writers of the present day. Where on Earth explores Le Guin's earthbound stories which range around the world, from small town Oregon to middle Europe in the middle of revolution to summer camp.
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Shame on you, Audible
- By Audrey McCombs on 07-03-20
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The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
- By: Kij Johnson
- Narrated by: Kij Johnson
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women's College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her.
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it took me a few trys to ger through this audio
- By Melanie on 05-13-17
By: Kij Johnson
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The Passion
- By: Jeanette Winterson
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues, Daniel Pirrie
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Set during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars, The Passion intertwines the destinies of two remarkable people: Henri, a simple French soldier, who follows Napoleon from glory to Russian ruin; and Villanelle, the red-haired, web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman, whose husband has gambled away her heart. In Venice’s compound of carnival, chance, and darkness, the pair meets their singular destiny.
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Excellence.
- By Scottie V. on 10-07-19
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A Wind from the South
- Raetian Tales, Book 1
- By: Diane Duane
- Narrated by: Jessica Almasy
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A goddess in the making... or a demon reborn? In the remote mountain village where she was born, Mariarta dil Alicg lives the untroubled life of a peasant girl...until, soon after a mysterious stranger's arrival, she starts to hear voices in the wind. The voices whisper strange secrets in Mariarta's ears -- promising her the power to command the stormwind, hinting at an unknown, magical heritage, and prophesying a fate marvelous past all Mariarta's imaginings. Then a curse falls on Mariarta's village, shattering the lives of her family and friends.
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This was a suprise!
- By Yvonne on 03-11-12
By: Diane Duane
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The Door on Half-Bald Hill
- By: Helena Sorensen
- Narrated by: Robert Hook, Janet Devlin, Nigel Patterson
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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When the Bloodmoon rose, death came rushing into the world. Now the water is bitter, blight consumes everything, and the Crone haunts the hills. While the Druid of Blackthorn searches desperately for hope, the Ovate returns from the underworld bringing omens of despair. But Idris, the young bard, Keeper of the Sacred Word, will walk through fire and iron to uncover a question no one has ever dared to ask - a question that carries a world of answers on its back, a question that can change everything.
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Interesting concept, but it felt incomplete.
- By W. Scott on 10-07-20
By: Helena Sorensen
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When the Tripods Came
- Tripods Series Prequel (Book 4)
- By: John Christopher
- Narrated by: William Gaminara
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of The Tripods was the basis of a popular BBC television series in the 1980s, where humanity has been conquered and enslaved by "the tripods", unseen alien entities that travel about in gigantic three-legged walking machines.
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Okay, but doesn’t live up to the main trilogy
- By Dr F on 02-19-23
By: John Christopher
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Orange World and Other Stories
- By: Karen Russell
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Karen Russell’s comedic genius and mesmerizing talent for creating outlandish predicaments that uncannily mirror our inner in lives is on full display in these eight exuberant, arrestingly vivid, unforgettable stories. In “Bog Girl”, a revelatory story about first love, a young man falls in love with a 2,000-year-old girl that he’s extracted from a mass of peat in a Northern European bog. In “The Prospectors”, two opportunistic young women fleeing the depression strike out for new territory, and find themselves fighting for their lives. Plus much more.
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Wild Ride
- By Georgia on 02-07-20
By: Karen Russell
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The Fairy Tales of Herman Hesse
- By: Hermann Hesse, Jack Zipes - translator
- Narrated by: Donovan
- Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
- Highlights
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Step into a world of visions, philosophy, and passion in which dreamers, seekers, princesses, and wandering poets dwell. The 6 wonderful, romantic tales in this collection are reminiscent of ancient Oriental and German fairy tales. The selections, "The Poet," "The Flute Dream," "The Dwarf," "Faldum," "Ziegler," and "Dream of the Gods" were hand-picked by the narrator, legendary folk and rock musician Donovan.
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The reading is quiet and heavenly
- By Atalante Lemuria on 11-12-20
By: Hermann Hesse, and others
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Shadow of the Moon
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Tara Ochs
- Length: 34 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The author of The Far Pavilions returns us once again to the vast, intoxicating romance of India under the British Raj. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress come home to her beloved India. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her protector, who aches to possess her. Forged in the fires of a war that threatens to topple an empire, their tale is the saga of a desperate and unforgettable love that consumes all in its thrall.
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Has always been a great story.
- By Sian on 06-08-14
By: M. M. Kaye
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Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
- By: Alda P. Dobbs
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia, Ana Osorio
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1913, and 12-year-old Petra Luna’s mamá has died while the revolution rages in Mexico. Before her papá is dragged away by soldiers, Petra vows to him that she will care for the family she has left — her abuelita, her little sister, Amelia, and her baby brother, Luisito — until they can be reunited.
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¡Me encanto!
- By Roxann Martinez on 01-11-23
By: Alda P. Dobbs
What listeners say about The Convert
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ripley
- 04-06-23
Nicely done
Easy to get absorbed in this mix of a historical travelogue with a sometimes difficult to hear tale of human on human cruelty - but worth the ride.
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- REB
- 09-11-20
Unique Format
I enjoyed this unique format wherein the author's modern-era travel log interrupts the story, but am aware that some readers might find it distracting. Tracing the steps of history are exciting. The roads we travel, the hills we climb, the streams we cross might have played an important part of another person's life story many years ago. Fun to think about.
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- Nicky Whisenant
- 09-27-22
Hypnotic
This book is so richly written I had to stop myself from devouring it in one big bite.I rationed these words, pausing ever now and then to savour a particular sentence.
The writer blends bits of fact in with his fiction, so skillfully I am not sure what is real and what is imagined of the woman"a life.
Splendidly written, the narrator's delivery of this story is hypnotic .
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1 person found this helpful
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- John K.
- 03-04-20
Stefan Hertmans + Nicholas Guy Smith = *****
The sense of awe and wonder that Mr. Smith brings to Mr. Hertmans latest novel is extraordinary. The same can be said for War and Turpentine, the prior novel that introduced me to Mr. Hertmans. Mr. Smith also narrated/performed A Gentleman in Moscow, which truly brought that novel to life. Most definitely treat yourself to The Convert.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Catherine
- 02-06-21
Captivating
Every aspect of this book was amazing. The narrative is beautiful; the history fascinating. This is among my all time favorites.
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- jane
- 01-18-22
story would be better with different narration
The story was good and I regret that I didn't read it . Listening to it probably didn't do it justice. The narrator was a bit too adenoidal. His reading was not exactly monotonous, but with almost every sentence in the book, his voice rises and falls in the same manner. The lack of variation in the reading really did make it to struggle to finish the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- stephanie L razzano
- 04-17-21
Great Book
Interesting and tragic story of a young girl who could have lived in any century. Loved the way the author juxtaposed the story with his research.
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- kabebe
- 01-27-24
Loved every bit of it
A Beautiful story of a woman who sacrifices her beliefs and her family for the love of her life. She went through hardships but the love for her children was always present. Interesting facts from the medieval times very well narrated I couldn’t stop listening!
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- Gita
- 04-15-20
I loved this book, but...
I loved this book. The story, stitched together from fragments recovered from the Cairo Genizah, is engrossing and moving. I very much enjoyed the interspersing of the narrator's recreation of the story with the story itself, and Nicholas Guy Smith's performance was, as in A Gentleman in Moscow, excellent. BUT, someone should have tutored Mr. Smith in the correct pronunciation of the Hebrew words in the book. At first it was kind of funny, but when names and words that appeared often were mispronounced it was mildly annoying. I don't blame Mr. Smith, but I think there should have been an editor who could have corrected the pronunciation.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Jane Doe
- 05-17-21
A padded mix of history and imagination
Never really got involved in either thread. The story of the convert was too removed and the story of the author’s research was too precious. Excellent reader though.
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