Preview
  • The Valley

  • The Valley Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Helen Bryan
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (682 ratings)

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The Valley

By: Helen Bryan
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's summary

Left suddenly penniless, the Honorable Sophia Grafton, a viscount's orphaned daughter, sails to the New World to claim the only property left to her name: a tobacco plantation in the remote wilds of colonial Virginia. Enlisting the reluctant assistance of a handsome young French spy - at gunpoint - she gathers an unlikely group of escaped slaves and indentured servants, each seeking their own safe haven in the untamed New World.

What follows will test her courage and that of her companions as they struggle to survive a journey deep into a hostile wilderness and eventually forge a community of homesteads and deep bonds that will unite them for generations.

The first installment in an epic historical trilogy by Helen Bryan, the bestselling author of War Brides and The Sisterhood, The Valley is a sweeping, unforgettable tale of hardship, tenacity, love, and heartache.

©2016 Helen Bryan (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.
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What listeners say about The Valley

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    283
  • 4 Stars
    199
  • 3 Stars
    127
  • 2 Stars
    45
  • 1 Stars
    28
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    130
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    112
  • 2 Stars
    56
  • 1 Stars
    31

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Mixed feelings

The book wasn’t quite what I expected. Although I love historical romances & listened quite eagerly- it was more because I anticipated the book would at any moment gain momentum & slowly build up as any good novel does. Sadly the first part was the better part & the unfortunate chain of events that brought Sophie & the slaves to the Virginia wilderness just dwindled towards the end. The fact that she & all the others that started out in the valley died made it difficult to keep up with more & more generations that followed & the constant appearance of new names. It felt as though the author was more concerned with setting the scene for the new book to follow. I felt a little confused at the end as though I lost touch with all the characters I got to know in the first 30 chapters of the book. Narration was superb & by far the best part of this listening experience.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

1st Book

I loved this book, the story, the characters, the way it moved and flowed. I will be anxious for the 2nd book in this series. Hope I don't need to was it to long.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

was ok

The story was awesome until 3/4 through it. then it just went on and on. when the main 2 people in book died then the book did not make any sense. the ending was stupid 🤔

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Would not recommend. Worst story ever.

The best part is the narrator. This is the worst book I've ever listened to. The first half of the story was good, then it just went down hill fast. The main character dies and the story makes no sense and then it just ends. Sorry but I hated this book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A lot to be desired

This book could have been great. The premise and content was idealistic and speaks to the era with rose colored glasses but was enjoyable. By trying to cover so many generations of characters the author left a lot to be desired with regards to plot and character development. At times I wasn’t sure I had even clicked on the right story as new characters and their back story would pop up with no introduction or warning. I would have loved to see this as a series rather than trying to cram it all into one book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The valley

Great book it shows us how the whites and blacks lived among each other how slavery and freedom of slaves affected world 🌎

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

A lot of history. Extremely well written. Gives Americans a better sense of our history.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good story

I struggled with the timeline in the story, there were many times where the story was talking about Sophia's children the all of a sudden they were older and different people were there.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

nothing great

it’s was an ok story... nothing special... just a long listen... lots of charters so it was hard to “feel” for any... i kept waiting for it to get better

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Didn't love the characters...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I did enjoy the book, but as the last few chapters came I was disappointed that the main character, Sophie, died, and I found I was not attached to any other characters. I didn't find that there was any compelling love story here, and nothing that makes me buy the next book to see what happened. So wanted to love this! Sorry it didn't seem to deliver for me.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

I found there was no true love or romance between any of the characters. It seemed every married out of convenience rather than because there was a lasting love. Sophie and Andre never did fall in love with each other...A few of the slaves fell in love, but this was not really developed to where it was compelling.

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1 person found this helpful