The Painted Girls
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Cassandra Campbell
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Julia Whelan
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Danny Cambell
About this listen
Paris, 1878: Following the death of their father from overwork, the three van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without their father’s wages, and with what little their mother earns as a laundress disappearing down the absinthe bottle, eviction from their single boarding room seems imminent. With few options for work available for a girl, bookish 14-year-old Marie and her younger sister Charlotte are dispatched to the Paris Opera, where for a scant seven francs a week, the girls will be trained to enter its famous ballet. Their older sister, stubborn and insolent 17-year-old Antoinette, dismissed from the ballet, finds herself launched into the orbit of Émile Zola and the influence of his notorious naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir - and into the arms of a young man who may turn out to be a murderer.
Marie throws herself into dance, hoping her natural gift and hard work will enable her to escape her circumstances, but the competition to become one of the famous étoiles at whose feet flowers are thrown nightly is fierce, and Marie is forced to turn elsewhere to make money. Cripplingly self-conscious about her low-class appearance, she nonetheless finds herself modeling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized in his controversial sculpture Little Dancer, Aged 14. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends lower and lower in society and must make the choice between honest labor as a laundress and the more profitable avenues available to a young woman in the Paris demimonde - that is unless her love for the dangerous Émile Abadie derails her completely.
Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is ultimately a tale of two remarkable girls rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of "civilized society". In the end, each will come to realize that her individual salvation, if not survival, lies with the other.
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Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. It's the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a “delicate situation”—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.
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Light Fantasy With A Compelling Story
- By Jeff Jackson on 11-14-12
By: Tina Connolly
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The Mangle Street Murders
- The Gower Street Detectives, Book 1
- By: M. R. C. Kasasian
- Narrated by: Lindy Nettleton
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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After her father dies, March Middleton has to move to London to live with her guardian, Sidney Grice, the country's most famous private detective. It is 1882, and London is at its murkiest yet most vibrant, wealthiest yet most poverty-stricken. No sooner does March arrive than a case presents itself: A young woman has been brutally murdered, and her husband is the only suspect.
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Witty and clever British mystery
- By Kathi on 03-22-14
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The Passion of Artemisia
- By: Susan Vreeland
- Narrated by: Gigi Bermingham
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Set against the glorious backdrops of Rome, Florence, and Genoa, and Naples, peopled with historical characters and filled with the details of the life of a 17th-century painter, The Passion of Artemisia is the story of Gentileschi's struggle to find love, forgiveness, and wholeness through her art.
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Disappointing
- By Kay on 05-21-03
By: Susan Vreeland
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The Dressmaker's Dowry
- A Novel
- By: Meredith Jaeger
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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For listeners of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Jio, or Susan Meissner, this gripping historical debut novel tells the story of two women: one an immigrant seamstress who disappears from San Francisco's gritty streets in 1876 and the other a young woman in the present day who must delve into the secrets of her husband's wealthy family only to discover that she and the missing dressmaker might be connected in unexpected ways.
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Even two good narrators can't redeem this
- By RueRue on 03-27-17
By: Meredith Jaeger
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The Affair of the Porcelain Dog
- By: Jess Faraday
- Narrated by: Philip Battley
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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London, 1889. For Ira Adler, former rent-boy and present plaything of crime lord Cain Goddard, stealing back the statue from Goddard's blackmailer should have been a doddle. But inside the statue is evidence that could put Goddard away for a long time under the sodomy laws, and everyone's after it, including Ira's bitter ex, Dr. Timothy Lazarus.
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Brilliant book, Phenomenal audio experience!
- By 'Nathan on 04-24-13
By: Jess Faraday
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The Nurse’s Secret
- By: Amanda Skenandore
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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In the slums of 1880s New York, Una Kelly has grown up to be a rough-and-tumble grifter, able to filch a pocketbook in five seconds flat. But when another con-woman pins her for a murder she didn't commit, Una is forced to flee. Running from the police, Una lies her way into an unlikely refuge: the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital.
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Predictable
- By Lorraine E. Collins on 07-05-22
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Brentwood's Ward
- By: Michelle Griep
- Narrated by: Pam Turlow
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Place an unpolished lawman named Nicholas Brentwood as guardian over a spoiled, pompous beauty named Emily Payne and what do you get? More trouble than Brentwood bargains for. She is determined to find a husband this season. He just wants the large fee her father will pay him to help his ailing sister. After a series of dire mishaps, both their desires are thwarted, but each discovers that no matter what, God is in charge.
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Action-packed and fun, but a little too much for me at times
- By Mommynificent on 04-01-20
By: Michelle Griep
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The Irish Healer
- A Novel
- By: Nancy Herriman
- Narrated by: Amanda McKnight
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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1830s London is rich with promise ... and fraught with peril. Rachel Dunne and James Edmunds are about to discover that love is too. Rachel Dunne has always been a healer ... until she’s accused of causing the death of a child under her care. Acquitted but shunned, she flees Ireland in search of a new life, convinced that she’ll be fine so long as no one in London learns of her disgrace - or forces her to ever sit at another sickbed.
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should have a Christian/Religion tag
- By Wendy on 07-06-12
By: Nancy Herriman
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The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
- By: Tiffany Baker
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Truly Plaice, an overly large and ungainly girl, is the polar opposite of her sister, Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection. With their parents dead, Truly and Serena Jane are separated: Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen and Truly to live on the outskirts of town, the subject of constant abuse and humiliation.
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meh...
- By Victoria on 02-25-09
By: Tiffany Baker
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The Magician's Lie
- A Novel
- By: Greer Macallister
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden's husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.
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Too Fantastic
- By Ms. Lucy on 02-22-15
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The School of Mirrors
- A Novel
- By: Eva Stachniak
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors.
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Fascinating but pedophilia nonetheless.
- By Barbara W. on 05-10-22
By: Eva Stachniak
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12 Days at Bleakly Manor
- Once Upon a Dickens Christmas, Book 1
- By: Michelle Griep
- Narrated by: Nan McNamara
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 1851: When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet feels compelled to attend - for if she remains the duration of the 12 day celebration, she is promised a sum of 1,000 pounds. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests - her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.
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Delightful Dickens Mystery!
- By A+D on 11-29-18
By: Michelle Griep
What listeners say about The Painted Girls
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- analyzethis
- 03-10-13
Pulls you in
Told from the viewpoints of sisters in an impoverished family with ties to the ballet, the story is surprisingly charming and engrossing -- I say surprisingly because I'm not interested in ballet and don't usually read period fiction. The narrator has a pleasant voice with a likable personality. I would call this elevated light entertainment - you won't learn anything but you won't feel like you've wasted your time on utter fluff, either.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Marni J.
- 02-14-16
Enjoyable interpretation of historical events
Would you consider the audio edition of The Painted Girls to be better than the print version?
I did not read the print version.
What other book might you compare The Painted Girls to and why?
I don't know.
Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?
I enjoyed the character of Marie the best. I found there was not a lot of difference between the voice of Marie and the voice of Antoinette. I would have chosen two narrators whose voices were more different.
If you could rename The Painted Girls, what would you call it?
The title is perfect as is but an alternative could be "The Ballet Girls"
Any additional comments?
No.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Donnise
- 04-11-13
Vivid Portrayal of Ballet Girl
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I love Degas paintings. I love ballet. I love historical fiction. Great combo!
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Painted Girls?
The ending was by far the best. I won't give it away.
Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, this was my first but she is amazing.
If you could rename The Painted Girls, what would you call it?
Something about sisters.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Nicola Read
- 02-23-13
Terrifically Researched - A Great Read
What did you love best about The Painted Girls?
I really enjoyed this fact-based back story to Degas' famous sculpture "The little dancer of fourteen years". The two main characters: Antoinette and Marie, were very appealing and engaging. The subject matter, of the difficult lives of the 'petit rats' who barely lived above the poverty line and hoped for deliverance from the Paris Opera was also fascinating and enlightening. The fact that these ballet girls' lives were intertwined with a number of murders that scandalised 1880's Paris all made for a gripping tale.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Painted Girls?
There were numerous memorable moments, but Marie's audition for the cadre was a lovely moment.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
It was fine, but (unlike The Poisonwood Bible) the voices were not individual enough to separate the characters easily.
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- SAM
- 11-21-21
Loved it!
Although the book was about the lives of these young girls and their mother, in the 1700s ballet and opera companies. It was a great historical fiction that told much more than poverty in early France. A+ to the Marie Buchanan.
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- B.J.
- 04-16-14
Really mediocre historical fiction
When historical fiction is done well, it really transports you to a time in a way that can't be duplicated. I remember reading "The Alienist" for the first time and I could smell the streets of New York in the late 1800s. With many of the rave reviews on this book, I expected the same feel for Paris. It never happened.
The premise of this story is good ... though certainly not original. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" has the same art-comes-to-life basis. While I appreciated a look at the world of ballet in Paris during the time, it wasn't any more revealing than what one would have guessed.
This was a book club selection so I had a chance to hear what others thought about it. My feelings about the book put me in the minority - much like the reviews here and elsewhere. There were many others who thought it was terrific and appreciated the story of the sisters. Clearly we have a different view of historical fiction and how it should be written. This was simply not the book for me nor would I recommend it to others.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Martha
- 11-16-15
The painted girls
I listened to this book because it was the selection for my book club. I found the story to be very slow to establish. Nearly half the book was devoted to character development before anything really happened. The narrator had a very slow cadence to her narration. I used the audible app to speed up the narration helping me persevere in finishing this book. I found the narrator used an American-type accent that I found confusing when narrating a story about Parisian French girls written by a Canadian author.
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2 people found this helpful
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- chanda palcher
- 08-23-22
Thoroughly enjoyable!
The narration was excellent and the story drew me in. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the footnote at the end!
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- Victoria Wehmeyer
- 01-09-18
The work came alive.
Wonderful narration. I felt like I was listening to a play. The work came alive.
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- Carol Williams
- 10-04-21
Remarkable
What a find. Excellent writing. Spot on narration. Not predictable. A very finely crafted story. Highly recommend.
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