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Islands of Mercy
- Narrated by: Katie McGrath
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
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Islands of Mercy
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
She was ‘The Angel of the Baths’, the one woman whose touch everybody yearned for. Yet she would do more. She was certain of that.
In the city of Bath, in the year 1865, an extraordinary young woman renowned for her nursing skills is convinced that some other destiny will one day show itself to her. But when she finds herself torn between a dangerous affair with a female lover and the promise of a conventional marriage to an apparently respectable doctor, her desires begin to lead her towards a future she had never imagined.
Meanwhile, on the wild island of Borneo, an eccentric British ‘rajah’, Sir Ralph Savage, overflowing with philanthropy but compromised by his passions, sees his schemes relentlessly undermined by his own fragility, by man’s innate greed and by the invasive power of the forest itself.
Jane’s quest for an altered life and Sir Ralph’s endeavours become locked together as the story journeys across the globe - from the confines of an English tearoom to the rainforests of a tropical island via the slums of Dublin and the transgressive fancy-dress boutiques of Paris.
Islands of Mercy is a novel that ignites the senses and is a bold exploration of the human urge to seek places of sanctuary in a pitiless world.
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What listeners say about Islands of Mercy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- AndreaK
- 24-04-22
A story with many characters and sub plots
I am a great fan of Rose Tremain but I felt this book tried to paint too large a canvas and, as a result, some characters were under-developed, particularly those in Borneo. The story would have been better concentrating on Jane Adeane, her lover Julietta Simms, her suitor Valentine Ross, her father William, Clarinda Morrissey, and Clarinda's family in Ireland. If these characters had been rounded out more, the story would have been more satisfactory. The narration by Katie Mcgrath was good.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rosie
- 18-12-23
Great story, with a few reservations
I started this book very enthusiastically, loving the characters and story development. There are so many interesting and complex characters in this book that I was very curious to know how they would all develop and interact, and also what the significance would be of having an exotic overseas set of characters. Overall I really enjoyed the book, but a couple of things were less satisfying. First, the narrator had a beautiful natural voice, but some of her ‘character voices’ were a little odd and/or OTT at times, and ‘jarred’ with the flow of the story. Some voices, in an attempt to be ‘plummy’ and upper class, just sounded like a cow mournfully mooing! Secondly, the book ended with so many interesting loose strands left hanging. I won’t name them here, as it will be a spoiler for others, but there were aspects of the story which seemed so significant and were so well emphasised during the body of the book, but then just left adrift - never concluded or linked up or resolved. What was the point of including them? I did genuinely enjoy the majority of it, but am left feeling somewhat puzzled and disappointed about the loose ends that I had assumed would be beautifully woven-in towards the end. Definitely worth a read, but not quite what I hoped it might be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan
- 15-10-20
Simply perfect and enjoyable
At the begining, the reason to get this book was only because I'm a great fan of Katie McGrath, but every minute I heard, the book hooked me more and more. The plot, the characters and the way that Rose Tremain write are really fantastic and Miss McGrath performance is such perfect as always in her jobs. I recommend it at all, the time fly away when you enjoy.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss AUBerry
- 27-11-21
Another gripping story from a brilliant author
she transports the reader like no other writer. I loved this book. completely absorbing.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Judith Jane
- 12-02-22
Engaging listening
Good story. Lots of interest between interconnecting people set in Bath, Lindon and far east.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shopaholic
- 20-03-22
Amazing
I originally wanted to listen to this book because of Katie McGrath narrating, but this is such a good book! I cannot stop listening, it’s hard to stop after a chapter or two. I love the wording, it’s just amazing. Definitely recommend to anyone wondering if they should listen/read this.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-09-20
Katie McGrath Is Perfect
Katies voice is perfect and calming, she could read me the back of a shampoo bottle and it would entrance me and be the best thing id ever heard
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Danni
- 29-11-21
Had me hooked
It's not my usual type of book as I prefer fantasy and Sci fi but this had me absoloutly hooked. Really enjoyed the story and characters, and the narrator had a wonderfully soothing voice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-10-20
.
The best thing about this book, except it being a historian lesbian love story, is that Katie Mcgrath narrated it and I'd very much enjoy to listen to more books narrated by her.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nitto
- 31-10-20
YES
Yeeted myself into this book when i saw that Katie McGrath is the narrator. Absolutely worth it! One of the most beautifully books I've ever read/listened to.
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3 people found this helpful