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Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid, and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.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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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...
- By Rebecca on 06-05-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
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A Song for Summer
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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I had high hopes, but it didn't live up to them.
- By Heidi A Cook on 08-15-21
By: Eva Ibbotson
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The Morning Gift
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Kate Lock
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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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.…
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Same Storyline
- By Wendy on 11-23-13
By: Eva Ibbotson
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Madensky Square
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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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
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The Secret Countess
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Sian Thomas
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
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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
- By Melissa Keating on 06-21-16
By: Eva Ibbotson
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Magic Flutes
- By: Eva Ibbotson
- Narrated by: Kate Lock
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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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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delightful story spoiled by the reader
- By A Lennox on 01-09-24
By: Eva Ibbotson
What listeners say about The Secret Countess
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Overall
- Patty
- 11-05-10
Magical and Enchanting
Davina Porter is by far my favorite narrator and listening to her narrate the poetically written The Secret Countess is a happy experience. The story itself is enchanting and you'll come to love the main character, Anna, who is a displaced Russian countess working as a housemaid in a country manor and has a true love for life. The slow building love between Anna and Rupert is believable and the descriptions of each character, the countryside, and simple things such as a dessert in the shape of a swan weave a web of magic. I could listen to Ms. Porter read this book several times over and never tire of it.
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- Liane
- 12-08-12
A rare gem
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.
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- MegIs
- 07-02-18
Love this book!
I have read this book many times and absolutely love it. However, when listening to the audio version for the first time, some of the characters sounded a little older/different than I had envisioned in my mind. Anna is the stand out one that sounded older than imagined. This led to a slight “eh” feeling on the audible version. With this in mind, I still love this book and will probably be listening to it again as I just love the story :)
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-17-10
Storytelling!!
If you like a simple little story to be entertained, this is a good one. Don't have to think too much about this one, but that's what I like about it. How can you not like Anna?! and Muriel is soooo offensive! The whole eugenics thing brings in such a twist! Davina Porter definiatly makes this book shine! I thought this might be trashy, and i was hoping, but it wasn't and really i didn't mind! This is one of the better examples of storytelling i've come across. If you like davina porter try the outlander series!!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Rachel C.
- 05-19-15
Heartwarming
A sweet, timeless, whimsical romance written in beautiful linguistic detail. The colorful descriptions of Russia and England are brought to life by both writer and narrator. The characters are deep and lovable.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Lady M
- 08-27-13
Charming and Beautiful!
"The Secret Countess" is a classic for both young and old.
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.
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3 people found this helpful
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- J Stephens
- 06-21-14
Simply delightful
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.
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- K.
- 05-08-15
If you like Downton Abbey...you will love this
If you could sum up The Secret Countess in three words, what would they be?
Charming, romantic and fanciful
What did you like best about this story?
This is a period piece that seems more timeless than dated. Some listeners found the plotline about eugenics disturbing, but I thought it was well handled. Overall I thought this book gave a more realistic view of the aftermath of World War I than Downton Abbey did. But at times this is just a frothy farce. It's predictable, but delightful.
What about Davina Porter’s performance did you like?
Davina Porter's reading was brilliant. She provided appropriate accents and voices for each of the many characters. Her Russian, Italian and French were awesome.
If you could take any character from The Secret Countess out to dinner, who would it be and why?
The Earl, of course!
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- Kathryn @theBookDate
- 05-19-10
Wonderful listening.
I bought this because of Davinia Porter. She brings this story which would be 3 stars up to 5 stars. When an author chooses the right narrator they are really being very savvy. It was a sweet story and I liked it. This one I will actually enjoy listening to again.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer
- 04-28-10
Predictable
You can forecast how this will end, but it's sweet and I still loved hearing how it unfolds. Love Davina Porter!!!
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4 people found this helpful