Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Garden of Letters
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Sastre, Alyson Richman
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
The Garden of Letters
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
Set against the rich backdrop of World War II Italy, Garden of Letters captures the hope, suspense, and romance of an uncertain era, in an epic intertwining story of first love, great tragedy, and spectacular bravery.
Portofino, Italy, 1943. A young woman steps off a boat in a scenic coastal village. Although she knows how to disappear in a crowd, Elodie is too terrified to slip by the German officers while carrying her poorly forged identity papers. She is frozen until a man she's never met before claims to know her. In desperate need of shelter, Elodie follows him back to his home on the cliffs of Portofino.
Only months before, Elodie Bertolotti was a cello prodigy in Verona, unconcerned with world events. But when Mussolini's Fascist regime strikes her family, Elodie is drawn into the burgeoning resistance movement by Luca, a young and impassioned bookseller. As the occupation looms, she discovers that her unique musical talents, and her courage, have the power to save lives.
In Portofino, young doctor Angelo Rosselli gives the frightened and exhausted girl sanctuary. He is a man with painful secrets of his own, haunted by guilt and remorse. But Elodie's arrival has the power to awaken a sense of hope and joy that Angelo thought was lost to him forever.
Critic reviews
"Richman seamlessly weaves together the languages of music and love, reaching into the heart of the reader with artful portraits of heroism, sacrifice and redemption. Fans of The Lost Wife will again savor Richman's ability to tell a remarkable story about people who are unforgettable and real." (Pam Jenoff, international best-selling author)
“Lyrical and rich...filled with beauty and tragedy, romance and heartbreak.” (Jillian Cantor, author of Margot)
“Graceful, mellifluous...read this book.” (Jenna Blum, New York Times best-selling author of Those Who Save Us)
More from the same
What listeners say about The Garden of Letters
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Petra 🤗📚📓🖋📮
- 22-01-16
a heart wrenching read
What made the experience of listening to The Garden of Letters the most enjoyable?
The story of the main characters was told in separate time lines, as you follow the main character you find out what brings Elodie on her journey from her home in Verona to Portofino where she meets the one man she has to trust with her life.
What other book might you compare The Garden of Letters to, and why?
There is no book I could compare it too, as it really has a story of its own. This for me was a new look at the Second World War, I loved how Elodie's love of music was the main strength of the main story.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
I loved the whole book, mainly because of the narrator as she brought Italy to me as a listener I missed nothing of the main story. I loved how the author through her vivid and wonderful writing I was able to hear Elodie playing her cello as the descriptions were simply perfect.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Breathtaking!
Any additional comments?
This is a story which truly brought the Second World War alive though this showed Italy through the war. The cruelty of the Nazis was evident but yet the bravery of the characters was so much more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Christineb
- 24-06-19
Three Stars
My expectations were high After reading reviews I expected an amazing read perhaps too much. It was well narrated but it just missed out on being a story that stands with the best of WW11 fiction Unfortunately for me I paid a premium price
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!