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While Beauty Slept
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
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Publisher's summary
I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told. And so begins Elise Dalriss's story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel's tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered - and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale...
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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
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Everlasting
- By: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
- Narrated by: Xanthe Elbrick
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
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Once, Abrielle's name was on the lips of every unwed nobleman in London as a proud exceptional lady coveted for her bearing, her breeding, her wit, and her beauty. But when her stepfather, respected for his courage and valor during the Crusades, is denied his rightful title and the wealth that accompanies it, Abrielle finds herself suddenly disgraced, no longer a suitable match for any proper gentleman.
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Never buy an abridged book!
- By Rhonda F. on 03-15-15
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Princess Annie
- By: Linda Lael Miller
- Narrated by: Simone Phillips
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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A visit with Bavia's royal family was supposed to be the stuff dreams were made of for Annie Trevarren, an American girl abroad. Instead it was turning into a disaster. First Annie impetuously crawled onto a castle roof and had to be rescued by Crown Prince Rafael St. James himself. Then her dearest friend, the prince's sister, Phaedra, balks at an arranged wedding. The peasants rebel. The throne totters. Worst of all, Annie is losing her heart.
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not sure what i feel
- By Betty odom on 12-24-18
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Everlasting Covenant
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Anne Gifford's dowry - or lack thereof - is of no concern to Sir Dylan DeFrayne. Wrapped in each other's arms, what more could they possibly need? Yet the young lovers' passion can never be sanctioned - the DeFraynes and Giffords have been sworn enemies for decades. Lest more blood be shed, the two must keep their affair a secret…and plot their elopement. Clad in threadbare hand-me-downs, Anne never expects the powerful and aged Brennan Forbes to remember her face, let alone propose marriage.
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This is not the same Robyn Carr
- By MickeyMarie on 01-22-13
By: Robyn Carr
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All the Ever Afters
- The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother
- By: Danielle Teller
- Narrated by: Jane Copland
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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In the vein of Wicked, The Woodcutter, and Boy, Snow, Bird, a luminous re-imagining of a classic tale, told from the perspective of Agnes, Cinderella’s "evil" stepmother. We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we? As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story...
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Not what I was expecting...
- By IonyWinter on 07-15-19
By: Danielle Teller
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The Blue Falcon
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In love and war, some oaths are meant to be broken.… Riding into the arena under the furling blazon of the blue falcon, Sir Conan de Corbney accepts a token from the young beauty Lady Chandra, sparking a romance foretold long ago. That is, unless Conan’s mother can help it. Colluding with her son’s rival, Sir Tedric, Lady Udele secretly arranges a more lucrative marriage for her son and weds him to Edwina - Chandra’s older sister - while Sir Tedric claims the fiery Chandra for himself. Thus begins the star-crossed lovers’ quest, amidst treachery and betrayal, for the path back to each other’s arms.
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What a waste of time
- By MickeyMarie on 01-16-13
By: Robyn Carr
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The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than 40 years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler - herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair - discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
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One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
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Ophelia
- By: Lisa Klein
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In this re-imagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queens most trusted lady-in-waiting. She catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, and their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and ultimately, Ophelia must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life.
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nice idea, poorly executed
- By Darryl on 06-11-16
By: Lisa Klein
What listeners say about While Beauty Slept
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Margaret
- 03-12-14
Loved it right up to the end
This re-envisioned telling of Sleeping Beauty satisfied both my need for depth in details and well done characters. Only the end, while the logical conclusion given the characters, felt like a let down. Perhaps it is just a matter of too much happy ending and not enough fulfillment of duty for my Puritanical soul.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Jen
- 02-06-19
While Beauty Slept
I really enjoyed this fairy tale and the narrator was so good. She really made the story come alive. Elizabeth Blackwell is a wonderful story writer. What imagination and details she puts into this story. How you get to know all the characters. The ending was a true delight.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-17-23
OMGDNESS!!!!!
I absolutely adore this version of Sleeping Beauty! Elizabeth is a wonderful writer. I have other books by her. Wanda is one of my favorite narrators. She was the perfect choice for this story. They’re a great duo.
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- RueRue
- 06-03-14
A Different Sleeping Beauty
Would you consider the audio edition of While Beauty Slept to be better than the print version?
Wanda McCaddon's narration was wonderful and brought the story to life
What did you like best about this story?
I liked this updated, revisionist interpretation of a fairy tale. The story retained the feel of a fairy tale but also had scenes of devastation and poverty that gave it realism
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yes, there were several emotional moments. ( I don't want to give any spoilers)
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3 people found this helpful
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- StaceyW.
- 12-16-23
Love it
I’ve listened to this book several times, I just love it! What a great new twist to an old tale
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- Alli G
- 01-16-15
great listen!
Where does While Beauty Slept rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
At least top 10.
What about Wanda McCaddon’s performance did you like?
I just loved listening to her voice and the way she brought the characters to life.
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- Grace W.
- 06-28-15
A lovely retelling of a classic tale
I felt this was a very likable retelling of the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty. The last few chapters were especially well done and I feel that the narrator was likable, yet a bit aloof at times. I loved the exploration of love lost and the effects our choices have on our lives.
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- Alcairha
- 06-19-24
Lovely realistic retelling with satisfying ending
Beautifully written retelling of the sleeping beauty fairytale with richly portrayed characters and highly realistic reimagining of the events in the original fairytale. There is a final twist to the story, which I did not see coming, and which provided a highly satisfying ending. Narration was excellent. Highly recommended!
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- Jenny
- 06-19-14
A Great Fairytale Revamp! Very Very Dark
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say this: surprisingly depressing.
The best parts of this story are the characters. Every character is motivated by complex and completely relatable experiences. No decision ever seemed innately flawed, it's really easy to understand, but the series of choices leads to some dark situations.
I will warn you, this book is not for the faint of heart. It is not light hearted at all. But if you can get through it, it is very very good. It left me with all sorts of feelings for days
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10 people found this helpful
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- Karissa Eckert
- 11-13-14
Well done historical fairy tale retelling
This was a very well done fairy tale retelling that is done as historical fiction with no magic. This was really well written and I enjoyed it a lot.
I listened to this on audiobook the audiobook was read by a narrator with a heavy and rich English accent which worked very well for this story. It was a great listening experience.
The book starts with our main character, Elise Dalriss, recounting the true tale of Sleeping Beauty to her great granddaughter. Elise was raised on a poor farm and when her family was decimated by the pox, she left and went to the castle to seek a position there. Through a series of coincidences she finds herself as the Queen’s Handmaiden shortly after arriving and the object of scorn of many other castle servants because of her quick rise in rank. However the Queen’s life has been plagued by sadness, the Queen is barren and would do anything to give the King of heir. Elisa finds herself the Queen’s closest confidant and witness to the hopes and devastations of a kingdom.
More than anything this book is a historical fiction. Although it is occasionally hinted at that the two elder sisters, Maleficent and Flora, might have beyond human powers that is mostly seen as superstition of the servants. There are no magic faeries or bitter curses here, just a bitter scheming old woman and the horribly contagious disease of the pox.
Elise is an interesting character. She is ambitious, although she doesn’t realize her drive until later in the story, and loyal to a fault. She time and time again chooses her duty to the Queen over her own happiness. It was interesting to read about a level-headed character that always chooses duty over her own needs. Elise’s survival of the pox at a young age also makes her resistant to the disease which puts her in an interesting position.
Elise does not have a wide circle of companions. She has an aunt in the city she converses with and eventually meets a young cobbler’s apprentice that she is drawn to. But her main duty is the Queen, and Elise spends all her time by the Queen’s side.
The story takes place over a number of years. We read about Elise as a child and about her early years in the castle. We also read about Elise in her upper 20’s when she finally marries and again in her 30’s. The beautiful thing about this story is how it shows the changes that can befall a person’s life so swiftly and how little control you have over certain things. I was also struck by how isolated the ladies in waiting are at times. They do not know anything about the world beyond the castle walls and are mostly content to just do their day to day duties.
The book does a good job of retelling Sleeping Beauty without magic in a way that is historically probable and could have actually happened. Beauty, the Queen’s daughter, actually isn’t the focus of most of the book. Her isolation in a tower is not at all what you are expecting, but it makes sense. This story shows how much more could be involved in a story like Sleeping Beauty and looks at an origin for that fairy tale that sounds surprisingly plausible.
There are a couple of points where the story gets a bit slow. However, for the most part it was engaging and well paced. The writing is very beautiful and I was able to easily imagine the characters and surroundings.
Overall I really enjoyed this historical fiction retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This retelling is enchanting and incredibly engaging, I really loved how a plausible and realistic historical story retells this famous fairy tale. Highly recommended to those who love historical fiction and/or fairy tale retellings.
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