Daughters of Eden

By: Charlotte Bingham

Narrated by: Kim Hicks

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Daughters of Eden focuses on the lives and fortunes of four very different young women at the outbreak of the Second World War. Marjorie, left at a boarding school by her emigrating mother; plain Poppy, pushed into marriage with a mean-spirited aristocrat; Kate, despised by her father, but determined to prove herself; and man-mad Lily, who turns out to be the bravest of them all. That all of them are chosen to work undercover for the espionage unit at Eden Park is a surprise, not least to them.

©2004 Charlotte Bingham (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

masterfully interwoven

Those reviewers for whom this "fizzled" should probably stick to Dr. Seuss. This was very well written, and I was held by each individual's story and captivated by the weaving of the lives. I will look for other books by Ms. Bingham, as this was my first to enjoy.

Much Enjoyed!

I thought this audio book was very enjoyable. The characters were very well fleshed out. I felt I really knew who they were before the "event" of the story took place. A great way to spend a couple of rainy afternoons!

good potential, little followthrough

The idea for this book is great - WWII, female protagonists, several storylines that eventually come together. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, which set up the women's early lives and how they came to be involved in secret work for the British government. The second half left me a little unsatisfied. I would have liked to know so much more, but the author is trying to tell three different stories, plus small chapters about other characters. So the narrative came to be spread quite thin.
Overall, the writing and plot are very good. The reader was fantastic; she managed to have a different voice for each character (of which there were many, as I said).

slow starter

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

It couldn't

What was most disappointing about Charlotte Bingham’s story?

Very slow starter I was bored and couldn't focus on the story.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kim Hicks?

Kim was fine. It was the story

lovely

I really enjoyed this story of 3 strong women from totally different backgrounds coming together to help win the war. Well written and seemed to be 3 stories in one. Thoroughly recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyable

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and will no doubt listen again at some point in the future. The plot is very interesting and gives some helpful insights into some historical aspects of WWII in England. The story does not move exceptionally fast, yet it draws the reader in and keeps you wanting to hear more. I wanted it to keep going after I got to the end... I thought it was well-read and would definitely recommend it.

Engaging Characters, Fascinating Plot

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only was the length perfect for my road trip, but the plot was very interesting and I immediately identified with the female characters in the book. I thought the reader was an amazing orator with an impressive variety of dialects and a versatile voice. The plot kind of starts off slow, but I would encourage the reader to keep with it. Things seemed to get interesting about an hour into the book. The book itself does have a fairly fragmented ending, but I felt satisfied with where the characters had gone from the beginning to the end, despite this small shortcoming. If you enjoy history, and wish for the less often accounted female point of view, this book is for you.

An amazing book everyone should read.

An amazing book everyone should read. You will not be able to stop listening. It takes you into the personal lives of young women during WWII and how some of them became vital to the secret agencies that helped win the war. I only wish it would have contiued into their lives after the war.

Is there a sequel?

What a great idea for a book. I wish the book was actually realized. What just happened and what will happen next? This could have been developed into a real classic, I think I got the kid's version. The reader was a little shrill at times, but mostly good.

Not impressed at all.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Pick one heroine and build the story on that ONE.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

unknown

Which character – as performed by Kim Hicks – was your favorite?

Peony

Could you see Daughters of Eden being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no. this would not make a good show.

Any additional comments?

I had hoped for more.