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The Stolen Marriage
- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
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The Stolen Marriage
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Summary
The Stolen Marriage is a compelling audiobook from Diane Chamberlain, the best-selling author of The Silent Sister, Pretending to Dance and The Midwife's Confession.
In 1944, 23-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory is a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess' new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she's trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.
The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town's prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed for the death. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift in a hostile town, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her - a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he's letting on.
When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, taking the lives of some of its children, including a boy well known to the Kraft family, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital in less than three days. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry's wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry's actions grow more baffling and alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband's mysterious behaviour and save her own life?
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What listeners say about The Stolen Marriage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ellis
- 14-09-18
Fantastic story
Great story, just as you thought you knew the plot it changed in a different direction, keeping you guessing and hooked. Nice that the basis of the story is true also. Definitely recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lucy
- 23-09-18
Beautiful story, gripping plot, I read in 4 days..
This writer is new to me and I loved the style of writing, the plot developing at a nice pace and at first I could not gave guessed where it would lead. I loved the characters and empathised with their stories. The book tackles the subject of polio in detail of which I knew nothing about and felt I understood it better and how it affected so many lives... it also covers inter racial relationships in the US at the time and at the end of rhe book, the writer explains all the background research based on true events. i would recommend this book and I will now read other books by rhis author. The narration was excellent and and unlike some books with an American narratir, this was a lovely voice.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Sue
- 21-07-19
Keep going - this story grows on you
At first I found this story very irritating: the heroine seemed weak and easily led, but as the story progressed, it became much more interesting. I spotted a couple of the plot twists in advance, but it was fun being right! It is amazing to see how social attitudes have changed in America over the past 70 years. The plot could just as easily have been set in late 19th century North Carolina as in the 1940’s, but it would be unthinkable now. It was interesting to learn that the story is based on true facts around the Annual polio epidemics that plagued America every summer until the vaccine was discovered.
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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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- Atheana
- 17-05-20
Another brilliant book by DC
One of the things that I love about listening to Diane Chamberlain’s books is that once you’ve finished you’re a lot smarter than when you first started LOL Well I don’t know about smarter but definitely more knowledgeable and better informed. With “Necessary Lies” it was about the euthanasia program in the 50s, boy was that an eye-opener! And now here with “The Stolen Marriage” you finish the book knowing things about polio that you could never have imagined.
I think I’ve said this before but I will say it again, it is always a bonus when you listen to/read a book and as well as thoroughly enjoy it you learn from it as well. As DC commented at the end of the book, this was a fairly labour-intensive endeavour in terms of the research required. On behalf of myself and other readers, I would say thank you very much Diane for educating us about things we would otherwise have never have known about.
As far as this book goes, to be honest I found it hard going in the beginning because it was very dark and negative but having stuck with it, and boy am I glad I did!, it leads you down a very enjoyably twisty and winding path full of suspense, history, knowledge and the unexpected. And as always, Susan Bennett did a marvellous job narrating it. I think she and DC make an excellent team! Another thing I love about DC’s books is that you always get drawn into not only the story but the characters as well. The Stolen Marriage is no exception.
Now my only dilemma is which of the DC’s books should I read next LOL
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Smonty64
- 25-06-19
Interesting story, not at all what I was expecting
Really enjoyed this book, great story very insightful
well written and excellent narrator loved it
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- R A Holly
- 20-11-18
Great read with a really good story
Loved this book and ending with all the twists and turns. The main character was great and really felt for her and the way it was written kept you interested. Narrator was great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anne
- 27-11-18
Good story and narration
Loved this book, brought the atmosphere of the time it is set strongly to life, and Susan Bennett's narration is excellent, her Yankee drawl for Henry's voice brilliant..well done Diane Chamberlain will definitely be listening to more of your audio books!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- JG
- 06-03-19
Interesting book
I didn’t really like the narrators voice, although of course it is set in America. I found the amount of racism difficult to cope with but again, it was of its time and that fitted in with the era. The main characters were believable but the general storyline showed the characters to be rather naive.
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- Kiera Potter
- 19-08-18
Surprisingly gripping
This was not my usual listen but I also bought it as a deal of the day. It was a great listen! I was truly gripped by the story and imbibed it within 2 days! The narration was great which also makes a huge difference. Nice to break away from my usual, classics, as pallet cleansers after a good serial killer tale.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- A. Richards
- 16-09-18
absolutely riveting
A truly well thought out and amazing storyline.
about a woman's struggles and kindness.
with a happy ending.
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