Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Voyage of Innocence cover art

Voyage of Innocence

By: Elizabeth Edmondson
Narrated by: Nicolette McKenzie
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £19.00

Buy Now for £19.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

A Man of Some Repute cover art
The Frozen Lake cover art
Villa in Italy cover art
Villa on the Riviera cover art
Greek Island Escape cover art
The Light Behind the Window cover art
The Blue Note cover art
Children of Chance cover art
Down Lambeth Way cover art
The Angel Tree cover art
A Secret Garden Affair cover art
Daughters of Eden cover art
A Feast of Carrion cover art
The Complete Short Stories cover art
The Song of the Skylark cover art
Hothouse Flower cover art

Summary

From the author of The Frozen Lake comes an enthralling novel of love, betrayal, and idealism as three very different young women go up to Oxford in the years immediately before World War Two.

Vee - the clergyman’s daughter. Boyish, alluring, she plans to use her time at Oxford to put right everything that went wrong in her loveless childhood. Her friendship with Alfred introduces her to politics and the subversive attractions of secret societies; it will lead to her career as a secret agent, but at what cost to old loyalties and her true feelings?

Claudia, radiant, intense, aristocratic, is equally drawn to the secret society and one member in particular; his dazzling influence will see her travel to Berlin and come under the spell of fascism as war looms.

And Lally, glamorous daughter of an Irish-American senator, is sceptical of the society and the arguments from both sides.

©2005 Elizabeth Edmondson (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about Voyage of Innocence

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    393
  • 4 Stars
    162
  • 3 Stars
    73
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    429
  • 4 Stars
    115
  • 3 Stars
    41
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    325
  • 4 Stars
    156
  • 3 Stars
    77
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Really boring book

What would have made Voyage of Innocence better?

If it had been less like an advert for the communist party.

Would you ever listen to anything by Elizabeth Edmondson again?

I have listened to, or read, five other books by this author and really enjoyed all of them. This book is so different it could have been written by someone else.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator was good. It's a pity she had such poor material.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None.

Any additional comments?

The publishers summary of this book is very misleading. It paints a picture of a story that's interesting and exciting. Unfortunately this book is neither. Much of the book is dominated by rants of why the Government of the period is bad and communism is the only way forward. The characters are rather serious and shallow, it's difficult to like any of them. Audio books need to be entertaining and listening to this was, at times, hard work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • P
  • 08-02-16

Addictive

Would you listen to Voyage of Innocence again? Why?

No - but only because I never return to books I have read before. I don't like knowing what's going to happen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lally because she is good, through and through: sensitive, kind, calm and non-judgmental.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

V's wedding to Giles.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

V's realisation that her mother only loved Daisy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Hated this book and couldn't finish

I returned this book, I simply could not be drawn in to it. The narration became irritating, Vee was not a character I could bring myself to warm to or care about. Midway through the book I began to dislike her and at that point listening became arduous.
The book is set during an interesting time in our history, political upheaval and views that have now been glossed over and buried have been exposed however the storyline is weak, insipid.
This is just not my type of book however that comes down to personal choice, no I would not recommend it however if the audio clip grabs your attention do not let this review put you off.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Ignore reviews

Make up your own mind. Having read a few reviews I was prepared to dislike this book, but, whilst not her best book, in my opinion, it was still worth the listen/read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love E Edmondson and also N McKenzie

I enjoyed this book which I listened to a few weeks ago. Now I cant remember the ending so will have to write more about it later. Listened during confinement and I think attention was not good during that time, brain fog!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Oh dear ... I did want to enjoy this book

Personal choice but this just did not work for me. I hate to leave a bad review for Eliazabeth Edmundson but I really could not do otherwise.
The reader did a fine job and her narration enabled me to keep going for longer than I wanted to..... I kept thinking that the background to the characters would develope into the usual entertaining story and characterisation of this author. . I applaud the attention to detail and if I had wanted to read a factual book about the politics of the period i would have learnt something but the main characters were predominantly unlikable and worse, tedious .After one month I did manage to finish this book .... mainly because of the grim determination to know whether this book would have any redeemable features.... and by taking it on a long car journey. the only enjoyable part were the last few chapters and the cameo part played by Perdita a character from the brilliant Frozen Lake . Will never read it again once was one time too many.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Extraordinary passage of time

Loved it! Learnt so much about politics in an ever changing world pre world war 2. Women learning to stand in their power & go against the grain. Losing site of themselves in the face of their beliefs. fantastic read (listen!) & clearly very well researched.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not her best

Excellent reading. Story often hardgoing. Oxford years bit tedious. Horrendously true spystory. Liked the ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • G
  • 09-05-16

Boring meandering story

Would you try another book written by Elizabeth Edmondson or narrated by Nicolette McKenzie?

Possibly, definitely one narrated by Nicolette Mckenzie

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This was the most interesting part of the book!

Which character – as performed by Nicolette McKenzie – was your favourite?

Alfred

If this book were a film would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

I have read Villa in Italy and The Frozen lake and enjoyed both . I enjoy vintage type books but this one was so slow without getting anywhere I was tempted to leave it altogether. However, I do not like to not finish a book so persevered but I can't say it was worth it. The wrapping up in chapter 31 was the most interesting part. Nicolette Mckenzie has a lovely voice and it was down to her that I did continue with it. I couldn't really empathise with any of the characters except may be Alfred. Altogether a long winded drawn out story which got nowhere until the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Far too long and no character development

This story was too long and dreary for the most part. It could have been so much better. Very dry characters and not really believable. Vee was dull and depressing and suddenly being in love at the very end with someone she had been so very indifferent too was unbelievable as a trait. Also it could have been so full of intrigue given the fast dry revelations at the end. Instead you could have been left guessing by weaving the other characters deeds throughout. And the vanishing brother was very weird and made no sense. The pace was all wrong. Too long, dull and drawn out for most of the book and then all rounded up at the end as though the author had also got bored and suddenly wanted it over.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!