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The Secret History
- A Novel of Empress Theodora
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
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Publisher's summary
Where Theodora went, trouble followed....
In sixth-century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every convention and all the odds and rose from common theater tart to empress of a great kingdom - the most powerful woman the Roman Empire would ever know. The woman whose image was later immortalized in glittering mosaic was a scrappy, clever, conniving, flesh-and-blood woman full of sensuality and spirit whose real story is as surprising as any ever told....
After her father dies suddenly, Theodora and her sisters face starvation and a life on the streets. Determined to survive, Theodora makes a living any way she can - first on her back with every man who will have her, then on the stage in a scandalous dramatization of her own invention. When her daring performance grants her a backdoor entry into the halls of power, she seizes the chance to win a wealthy protector - only to face heartbreak and betrayal.
Ever resilient, Theodora rises above such trials and, by a twist of fate, meets her most passionate admirer yet: the emperor's nephew. She thrives as his confidant and courtesan, but many challenges lie ahead. For one day this man will hand her a crown. And all the empire will wonder - is she bold enough, shrewd enough, and strong enough to keep it?
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Story
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 Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
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Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
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Cleopatra's Daughter
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- By: Michelle Moran
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
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The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony's vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two---the 10-year-old twins Selene and Alexander---survive the journey.
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A pretty engaging story
- By Annette on 12-23-09
By: Michelle Moran
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The Lotus Palace
- By: Jeannie Lin
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It is a time of celebration in the Pingkang li, where imperial scholars and bureaucrats mingle with beautiful courtesans. At the center is the Lotus Palace, home of the most exquisite courtesans in China. aidservant Yue-ying is not one of those beauties. Street-smart and practical, she's content to live in the shadow of her infamous mistress - until she meets the aristocratic playboy Bai Huang.
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always an excellent story.
- By Rdow on 11-14-22
By: Jeannie Lin
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In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
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I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
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The Lioness of Morocco
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Independent-minded Sibylla Spencer feels trapped in 19th-century London, where her strong will and progressive views have rendered her unmarriageable. Still single at 23, she is treated like a child and feels stifled in her controlling father's house. When Benjamin Hopkins, an ambitious employee of her father's trading company, shows an interest in her, she realizes marriage is her only chance to escape.
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The Lioness o Morocco
- By MM on 06-23-17
By: Julia Drosten, and others
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Curse of Shadows and Thorns
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs. When her uncle holds the life of her deathly ill father over her head, reluctantly, Elise puts her fate into the hands of Legion Grey, the handsome and mysterious dowry negotiator. He may be arrogant and infuriating, but soon Legion incites a blistering, forbidden passion she can’t ignore.
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Great concept, poor execution on the writing side
- By Kel on 11-24-22
By: LJ Andrews
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Desired
- The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah
- By: Ginger Garrett
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gallagher
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Three women loved him. Two betrayed him. One fulfilled his destiny. Desired tells the story of the legendary strongman through the eyes of the three most important women in his life. The fiercely loving Jewish mother who nags him toward greatness … and rebellion. The impoverished Philistine girl, Amara, who becomes Samson’s bride. And the emotionally damaged seductress—the legendary Delilah—who becomes the instrument of his destruction and the key to his tragic triumph.
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really cool perspective on this story
- By Lisa on 02-11-13
By: Ginger Garrett
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The Serpent Garden
- By: Judith Merkle Riley
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Performance
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Susanna Dallet is the daughter of a Flemish painter and wife to a philandering husband, living in the court of Henry VIII. When her husband is murdered, Susanna is suddenly left with a household to provide for and nothing to her name. Her days of anonymity are over when Susanna finds that guild rules preventing women from working do not apply at the king’s court, and she manages to secure a position as a miniature-portrait painter. Before long, she has not only made a name for herself, she is close to those who surround Princess Mary. But even in this lofty company, Susanna is not safe....
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DON'T FALL FOR THE PRINT VERSION AMAZON REVIEWS
- By The Louligan on 03-06-14
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A Vision of Light
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Overall
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Performance
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Margaret of Ashbury wants to write her life story. However, like most women in 14th-century England, she is illiterate. Three clerics contemptuously decline to be Margaret’s scribe, and only the threat of starvation persuades Brother Gregory, a Carthusian friar with a mysterious past, to take on the task. As she narrates her life, we discover a woman of startling resourcefulness.
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Old fashioned heroine
- By Margaret on 06-22-13
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What listeners say about The Secret History
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- Terry
- 02-17-21
I Couldn't Believe The Events Were Real
Great story and while I know this is fiction, its HISTORICAL fiction and many if the events are documented. Narrator wad good as well
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- Jamie
- 03-24-21
So Good!!!
I loved this book. It’s a book that you just get lost in. I’m so sad it’s over but I’ll listen to it again sometime. I’m off to listen to the author’s other books.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Darline
- 10-26-21
Fascinating, well-researched and written!
Excellent accounting of a great story. When I was still a girl, I read this tome of a book called, “Maia,” which was my first encounter with the Empress Theodora. So I was more or less familiar with her story. But this recounting was very poignant, made me cry at times, the emoticon and performance was that good. Highly recommend, it’s truly worth the time!
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- Smiling Big
- 03-22-22
What a woman!
The reader was quite evocative and added much to the experience. While many of the terms and names carried less meaning for me, as one with little exposure to this particular era and place, the thread of the story of a woman struggling to survive-and live as happily as she could- was never lost.
Neither the whore nor the virgin, but a woman of intelligence and loyalty, she now lives on -at least in my mind.
Thanks to the author!
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- DrBon
- 03-15-22
How very hard to sympathize with a narcissist
What a dreadful individual Empress Theodora was (as depicted in this novel). As it was written in the first person, the story even more impossible to appreciate. Seeing the world through a narcissist life is not a pleasant experience.
Theodora’s experiences were delivered without emotion. For instance, her relationship with her best friend was appallingly, and her descriptions of interactions with her were just statements of fact. Instances when Theodora was slapping, hitting, and thoughts of murdering her “dearest friend”, without any benefit of doubt, hardly makes a bonded relationship.
I found the characters flat and can’t say I was fond of any of them. But of course, they were seen through the eyes of a narcissist.
It was a book I had a hard time finishing. However, somehow I thought it might improve…..
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2 people found this helpful