
The Secret Countess
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Narrated by:
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Davina Porter
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By:
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Eva Ibbotson
About this listen
Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid, and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion. The staff and the family are sure there is something not quite right about their new maid - but she soon wins them over with her warmth and dedication.
Then the young Earl returns home from the war - and Anna falls hopelessly in love. But they can never be together - Rupert is engaged to the snobbish and awful Muriel. And anyway, Anna is only a servant. Or so everybody thinks.
Click here to see all the titles in our Whole Story Audio Books collection.©2007 Eva Ibbotson (P)2007 W F HowesListeners also enjoyed...
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Spring, 1922. Tessa is a beautiful, tiny, dark-eyed princess who’s given up her duties to follow her heart and work backstage at the Viennese opera. She keeps her true identity a well-guarded secret, but when a wealthy, handsome Englishman discovers this bewitching urchin backstage, Tessa’s two lives collide - and in escaping her inheritance, she finds her destiny....
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- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Kate Lock
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Overall
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Performance
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- Narrated by: Sian Thomas
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.
-
-
Heavily edited
- By Melissa Keating on 06-21-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
The Convenient Marriage
- By: Georgette Heyer
- Narrated by: Avita Jay
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Horry Winwood doesn't play by the rules. So when her family are near ruin and her sister is about to enter a loveless marriage to a wealthy man to settle the family debts, young and headstrong Horry proposes to marry him instead. As her new husband's attentions fall elsewhere, Horry feels increasingly unhappy. Then she meets the attractive and dangerous Lord Lethbridge, and her days suddenly become more exciting. But there is bad blood between Horry's husband and Lord Lethbridge, and as complications and deceptions mount, the social tangle grows ever trickier to unpick.
-
-
Creepy!
- By A. Chandler on 02-13-25
By: Georgette Heyer
-
A Company of Swans
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton's only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good. Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiance have begun to track her down.
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didn't realize this version was abridged...
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Critic reviews
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The Secret Countess
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Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.
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I can't believe this has just been sitting in my audible library all these years!
- By Melodygirl on 03-04-18
By: Eva Ibbotson
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The Morning Gift
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Kate Lock
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruth lives in Vienna and is wildly in love with Heini Radik, a brilliant young pianist. When Hitler’s forces invade, Ruth’s family flees to London, but she cannot get a passport. Quin, a young professor and friend of the family, visits Ruth and offers a marriage of convenience. On their return to London, Quin begins to fall desperately in love with her. But then Heini turns up.…
-
-
Same Storyline
- By Wendy on 11-23-13
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
A Company of Swans
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton's only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good. Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiance have begun to track her down.
-
-
didn't realize this version was abridged...
- By Rebecca on 06-05-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
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Madensky Square
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Susanna Weber is the best dress maker in Imperial Vienna. Through skill and hard work, she now owns her own dress shop, looking out over the beautiful Madensky Square. To do so, she has left her past behind, if not without regret, at least resolutely. Looking around her, at her customers and friends, Susanna is aware that she has more than most - but a few small changes cause her to realize just how precarious her situation is.
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-
Charming afternoon treat
- By Marina on 01-09-14
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
The Secret Countess
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Sian Thomas
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.
-
-
Heavily edited
- By Melissa Keating on 06-21-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
A Song for Summer
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Ellen Carr abandons grey, dreary London to become housekeeper at an experimental school in Austria, she soon knows she's found her calling. Swept into an idyllic world of mountains, music, eccentric teachers and wayward children, Ellen brings order and joy to all around her. But it's the handsome, mysterious gardener, Marek, who intrigues her - Marek, who has a dangerous secret. As Hitler's troops march across Europe, Ellen finds she has promises to keep, even if it means sacrificing her future happiness.
-
-
Beautiful and comforting
- By Anne B. on 05-28-25
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
The Star of Kazan
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Patricia Connolly
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early 20th-century Vienna, Annika is raised by Ellie and Sigrid, a cook and housemaid for a household of three professors. Abandoned when she was a baby, Annika dreams of the day her mother will come back to claim her. Then one day, it happens. A glamorous woman arrives and sweeps Annika away to a crumbling castle in Germany. But there is much more to this new woman than meets the eye - and none of it is good.
-
-
I can't believe this has just been sitting in my audible library all these years!
- By Melodygirl on 03-04-18
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
The Morning Gift
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Kate Lock
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruth lives in Vienna and is wildly in love with Heini Radik, a brilliant young pianist. When Hitler’s forces invade, Ruth’s family flees to London, but she cannot get a passport. Quin, a young professor and friend of the family, visits Ruth and offers a marriage of convenience. On their return to London, Quin begins to fall desperately in love with her. But then Heini turns up.…
-
-
Same Storyline
- By Wendy on 11-23-13
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
A Company of Swans
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton's only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good. Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiance have begun to track her down.
-
-
didn't realize this version was abridged...
- By Rebecca on 06-05-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
-
Madensky Square
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Susanna Weber is the best dress maker in Imperial Vienna. Through skill and hard work, she now owns her own dress shop, looking out over the beautiful Madensky Square. To do so, she has left her past behind, if not without regret, at least resolutely. Looking around her, at her customers and friends, Susanna is aware that she has more than most - but a few small changes cause her to realize just how precarious her situation is.
-
-
Charming afternoon treat
- By Marina on 01-09-14
By: Eva Ibbotson
Magical and Enchanting
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Where does The Secret Countess rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of my favourites due to Davina Porter's narration. A nice story which in essence is a light hearted romance piece that is a little cliched and predictable but made outstanding due to the narrators ability to bring the characters to life and give them depth. I read the book some time ago and found the writing style difficult to follow, Eva Ibbotson needs to cull her use of commas! Definitely recommend the audio version over the book and well worth the credit.A rare gem
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Love this book!
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Storytelling!!
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Heartwarming
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Wonderful listening.
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Predictable
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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
If they were looking for a light-hearted easy listen.What three words best describe Davina Porter’s voice?
The narration, like the story, is fun, easy to listen to and inoffensive. Well matched.Predictable, Lighthearted Fun
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You'll love Anna, a Russian refugee who flees to England with her mother and brother after the Revolution, and the death of her father. Although forced to take up a job as a housemaid to help support her family, her joy for life and living is contagious and touches all those around her. Anna perfects the saying, "If life hands you lemons, make lemonade".
The secondary characters are so well portrayed you'll feel as though you know each and every one of them. You'll smile at the antics of Baskaville, Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme's, English Mastiff and laugh at the humorous ruse designed by Mr. Proom near the end of the book.
"The Secret Countess" stirs a range of emotions--joy, sadness, anger, humor....credited to the great performing talent of Davina Porter.
I recommend it for anyone wanting wholesome entertainment.
Charming and Beautiful!
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What made the experience of listening to The Secret Countess the most enjoyable?
Great choice of narrator for this novel. I loved the range of voices she used to depict the various characters. Although I have little knowledge of French and no experience with Russian, I was able to understand the context of the words because of the narrator.What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator brought life to the characters through her various accents and pronunciation of French and Russian words.Who was the most memorable character of The Secret Countess and why?
The most memorable character would have to be Anna. She was born into a world of wealth and privilege but remained humble.Simply delightful
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