
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Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid, and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.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.
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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 Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.
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Heavily edited
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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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