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)

Captivating

A story within a story masterfully woven, The Winter Sea was a book I didn’t want to end. I will be reading more about young King James! The reading by Rosalyn Landor brought the characters vividly to life. I will be looking for more books by Susanna Kearsley.

Great narration.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

While the narration was fantastic, the story did not keep my attention. I found myself missing significant portions of a chapter when my mind wandered.

Master Storyteller

Not only was the story enthralling, but the performance was amazing.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best historical novels I have ever read.

Another fun historical fiction book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Winter Sea?

Love the way the book bounced from past to present. The main character is an author who is writing a historical fiction novel. The story line bounces from her to the story she is writing. I very much enjoyed it.

Outstanding

Any additional comments?

Great listening, narrator did excellent job. Didn't like the double story at the beginning but perservered and pleased that I did.

Great

This is a great story. I loved almost everything about it. BTW it is nothing like the Outlander (other than the scene being in Jacobite times). Also there is absolutely NO sex in this story so if you prefer a book with a little of everything this is a little off the mark. This story is about an author writing (she traveled from France to Scotland and rents a cottage in order to collect info to write her book) a historical romance about her ancestors, she begins to have flash backs into Jacobite times. While getting dialogue for her book she finds love in the cottage owner's son. I am not addressing the narrator, Rosalyn Landor was amazing as always (that’s a given).

Like a trip to Scotland then and now

The story was fun. The historical background was very interesting. I was able to look at the locations on line and see some of the sites and areas described in the book. I was also able to learn more about the political setting. The story was good enough to encourage me to look more deeply.

This Book has that "Stays With You" quality

What made the experience of listening to The Winter Sea the most enjoyable?

The story flowed along as though the author had actually lived it. Her characters were very real and quite believable in both centuries. The descriptions of Scotland and the sea made me wish I was actually there.

What other book might you compare The Winter Sea to and why?

The only other book that affected me in this way is the Highlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. The stories are different, but the moving through time plots, while handled differently, were both very effective.

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reader made more of the descriptive details come through. I frequently miss these when reading myself. Her voice effectively gives the characters life.

Very enjoyable historical romance.

Where does The Winter Sea rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my first 'romance' novel & I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot combined the past and the present seamlessly. Some of the current day characters were a bit bland - but it is the 'historical' portion of the story that really held my attention.

Which scene was your favorite?

No spoilers - but the best scenes for me are towards the end of the book. Warning - bring your tissues!

If you could rename The Winter Sea, what would you call it?

A Highland Fling - I know not very original! This is why I read & not write.

Any additional comments?

The performance of the narrator was amazing. I honestly thought that the male Scottish roles was performed by a male narrator. Props to Rosalyn Landor for an excellent job.

I absolutely loved this book!

Where does The Winter Sea rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is one of my favorite audiobooks.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Winter Sea?

All the historical twists in the plot.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Rosalyn Landor's preformance is marvelous. Her ability to change voices for each character is uncanny.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Past memories recalled

Any additional comments?

Audible needs more Susanna kearsely books.