The Winter Sea

By: Susanna Kearsley

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

History has all but forgotten...

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Please note: This novel has also been published under a different title: Sophia's Secret.

Please note, this title is the original recording, which is now known as Sophia's Secret

©2010 Susanna Kearsley (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Romance, 2012

"Rosalyn Landor provides delightful Scottish accents for many of the characters Carrie meets inside and outside her novel....Landor adds a poetic edge to her storytelling while at the same time giving a dreamy aura to the historical side of the story." ( Audiofile)

Please don't compare it to Diana Gabaldon's books

I seem to remember reading a review here or there which indicated that people who love Diana Gabaldon's work will love this book too. I agree with this statement, but I also feel it does this book a disservice.

Yes, it is about the Scottish resistance to the Hanover dynasty, beginning in the 18th century. And it features a beautiful young damsel and handsome Scottish rebel. But in my opinion, that is basically where the comparison ends.

Kearsley has given us, basically, two novels in one; and there is no time-traveling involved. Her modern-day protagonist is an American novelist with Scottish ancestry who moves to a Scottish village near the sea and falls in love with a 'local'. The historical plot is about a young 18th century woman who has lost her nuclear family and moves in with relatives who live in a castle/manor house close to the same village that features in the modern plot.

These two timelines connect during the novelist's dreamstates. And, since she is a writer, the dreamstates become the source of her new novel. In addition to her artistic interest she soon finds that, since her father is a history/geneology buff, they can combine interests by sharing information - each researching the same material on opposite sides of the Atlantic . The two of them sort out the lost details of the young couple's romance. By doing this, they also end up connecting the dots to their own ancestry. (All while the protagonist is also trying to sort out a tricky familial relationship concerning her lover.)

I really love this story. It is moving, well-written and engaging. As a writer, I enjoyed her portrayal of the various ways authors can approach their craft.

The only thing that bothered me had to do with the narrator. I know that the modern protagonist is a woman in her 30's, and so have no problem with the mature voice given her. But I felt that the way she used her voice when mentioning her prurient interest in the man who becomes the character's lover is overplayed. To me, that type of tone is more realistic when used by a male character. The protagonist is a feminine intellectual with heightened sensitivies. Hearing her description of a man's physical attractions in what I would almost call a 'predatory' tone of voice adds a "smarminess" which I find at odds to her character. I think she should have played those lines straight. They would have been more powerful. (Come to think of it, I'd find it smarmy if used by a male character.)

But otherwise, the narrator does a beautiful job. I am always amazed at how female narrators are able to recreate a variety of male voices. Plus, her ability to switch from one accent to another is so natural that I only thought about it in retrospect - after I read the book and was allowing the phrasing of this review mix in the "soup" of my subconscious.

So don't compare it to Outlander and you will love it.

Bravo!!!

I was transported to another place and time with the beauty of this story and the superb narration by Rosalyn Landor. One of the two main characters is a contemporary American writer, Carrie, as she writes a novel set in early 17th century Scotland about the return of exiled King James to the Scottish throne during the reign of England's Queen Anne. The second narrator is the 17th century heroine, a young Scottish woman named Sophia, who takes the reader back to this time of intrigue, deception and danger, and two satisfying love stories. The two timelines are seamlessly interwoven and the narrator's skill at changing accents makes it easy to follow the two narrators, Carrie and Sophia, as the novel shifts back and forth between them. For those who enjoy historical fiction with detail, a sense of place and time, and romance you might find this as completely satisfying as I did.

Diana Gabaldon fans - this is a Must Read!

Diana Gabaldon fans rejoice! You'll love The Winter Sea if you are as obsessed with Outlander as I am. I found this story absolutely captivating! I couldn't stop listening, just like the Outlander books. Though not Davina Porter, Rosalyn Landor does a beautiful job narrating this story, much in Ms. Porter's enchanting style. I can't wait to see what Susanna Kearsley comes out with next. She's quickly become a new favorite author of mine.

Beautiful scenery, elegant plot

What did you love best about The Winter Sea?

This book surprised me. I bought it largely to hear the author's descriptions of Scotland and the sea -- and they are beautifully crafted -- but the plot-within-a-plot immediately captured me. As a writer, I wondered if I could enjoy a book about a writer writing a book. The answer in this case is a resounding yes.

My first Susanna Kearsley book - not the last one!

I bought this audiobook on a whim, after it was suggested in a news feed from Audible's facebook account. I didn't really know what to expect from the story, whether the book would be a typical romance, a historical novel, or something in between. I was so pleasantly surprised by the story - I absolutely loved it. What began as interesting historical fiction became more and more intricate with time, combining elements of science, a little supernatural flair, wonderful romances, and the Scottish setting was just perfect. I enjoyed the story more and more, until by its end, I'd decided that it was one of my all time favorites. If it doesn't grab you in the first few chapters, just be patient - I think you'll love it. The narrator was also phenomenal.

A very captivating tale

This was a wonderful book. I loved the story within the story within the history. The premise is delightful. I loved the narrator's voice. She did a lovely job with the accents and the men's voices. It was only slightly confusing sometimes, as often the men sounded the same, so distinguishing some of the similar sounding characters were difficult, but not overly distracting. It was a beautifully written book and very well performed. I would highly recommend.

Brilliantly presented

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was the father but I have a soft spot for sweet old men in my stories.

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

The story was well written.

Any additional comments?

This book is a little slower than I wanted but can't stop reading. Excellent story, well written. Author is an award winning author and it is reflected in her story. The way she presents this complicated adventure is brilliant and well done. Easy to follow and keeps the receiving side interested.

Mushy... with some interesting bits

Ok.. I'm not a romance reader. I got this book because I looked at other peoples reviews and thought this book was going to be a historical fiction book with a bit of romance. I was wrong! It's a romance book with a bit of historical fiction.

So needless to say I cringed through most of the book because romance isn't really my thing. Having said that it is really well written and performed - I can't believe how many accents the narrator did, and did well. And despite my cringing at the mushy bits I did listen to it all the way to the end because I wanted to find out what happened.

So, all in all, If you like a good romance this is probably a good book for you. It's just not my cup of tea!

Trite and Predictable

This was billed as being like Diana Gabaldon's books, which I quite enjoyed, but it did not live up to that standard. There was precious little history in this so-called historical fiction. The characters in the past are minor players, with little insight given to real historical figures and without even much attempt made to portray the daily life of the times. They were also not particularly well developed or engaging. As for the modern day part of the story, the "genetic memory" quackery made my teeth grind. I have no problem enjoying the pure fantasy of ancestral memories or ghosts or mystic visions of the past, but the book's attempt to make itself "real" with psuedoscientific mumbo-jumbo about DNA was absolutely ridiculous. DNA does NOT encode memories!!!! I suppose this book might not be so bad if you're looking for a shallow romance novel, and don't really care about science or history, but I found it to be mostly annoying.

Disappointing

Any additional comments?

I was looking forward to this book but was disappointed. The story seemed to lack depth, even though there seemed to be much potential, and was a little slow. I enjoyed learning about the Jacobites and must confess the ending did spark more interest.