Flowers from the Storm

By: Laura Kinsale

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

He's a duke. He's a mathematical genius. He can't talk and he's locked in a lunatic asylum. Only a modest Quaker girl can reach him, but when she helps him to escape, she's swept into his glittering aristocratic world, her life torn apart by his desperate attempt to save himself.

Laura Kinsale personally chose the exceptional talent of Nicholas Boulton to narrate her classic romance Flowers from the Storm - cited by readers of The Washington Post and Glamour magazine as "one of the greatest love stories of all time" - creating a fresh and unique work that brings all the power and intensity of the original to audio.

©1992 Hedgehog Inc (P)2013 Hedgehog Inc

Mediocre

This novel had so much potential but the author was not able to tie up all the ends. It started out great and then went down the hill quickly. The female protagonist is unlikeable. There’s no way a man like the duke would have loved her in real life.
The narrator is excellent. That was the only good thing about this book.

Nothing like a Quaker in the world of aristocratic excess

I wasn’t sure what to expect having never read this author before, but there were few instances in this story that I found actually enjoyable. There may have been a few clever lines that made me smile, but other than that, I had to force myself through this book, eventually speeding it up so I could get through even faster.

As someone with religious trauma, the Quaker theme was probably never going to be one I would enjoy, but I stuck it out hoping I would find bits that I liked, plus I’d already paid for it.

The beginning felt maddeningly slow for me and the hero’s struggles with speech were almost painful. The abuses of the asylum were uncomfortable and difficult to stomach. And probably more importantly, I didn’t find either the hero or heroine likable, which made it difficult for me to care what happened to them. I listened through to the end, ignoring my desire to DNF, curious how the author would resolve the story. But at a certain point I realized there wasn’t really an ending to this story that I wanted to see. Ultimately I’m not sure why this book has such a high rating, but other than the narration, which was fine, there wasn’t much for me to enjoy in this book.

Simply stunning!

LK and NB are a perfect match. Political power, wealth, great love, beauty, sickness, sin, life's challenges - gyou name it - this book has it all! It's a simply marvelous story that struck home with me. I highly recommend this book! Enjoy!

Some would say too much detail - I was riveted!

I couldn't literally wait until I got to listen to this, I lost sleep!! Nicholas Boulton is an amazing narrator and this story - well, let's just say I'll listen to anything Laura Kinsale writes and Nicholas Boulton narrates.... Christian is a man with a problem, a big problem, he has a "stroke" and is committed to an asylum. He has shared a passion of mathematics with a Quaker. This Quaker's daughter discovers him at this "civilized" asylum governed by her cousin. She feels moved by God to make him her business. Let's just say Ms. Kinsale treats this problem with the harsh reality it would have in this particular time period (they thought he was nuts) when in truth, the stroke that did not show on the outside, had wreaked havoc on the inside. With Maddiegirls help and personal struggles with her faith...things come along. One of the most realistically written historical romances I have read in a long time. They exist, but they are few. Enjoy the ride. I will make it my business to read/listen to her other books as long as Mr. Boulton is narrating.

An unforgettable love story

Any additional comments?

Can I give it a hundred stars? A thousand?

My Goodreads friend Caz opened her review of this audiobook by saying, “It’s absolutely fantastic, so go and buy it immediately!” I can only add that this is an understatement.

I read this book in 2011 and gave it four stars. Although I thought it was a wonderful story, the annoying Quaker heroine kept it from being a five star read for me. Caz's review, however, finally inspired me to take a chance on an audiobook, and I'm so glad that I did.

In the excellent hands of narrator Nicholas Boulton, Maddie-girl goes from annoying to inspiring, and the truly damaged hero, Jervalux, is unforgettable. Mr. Boulton does a brilliant job in capturing the thoughts and halting words of this man whose brain has been scrambled by what we recognize as a stroke but what his family thinks is insanity. And even Maddie-girl's "thees and thous" ceased to bother me. His range of voices is remarkable; each of the many characters is instantly recognizable -- from the dragon aunt to Jervaulx's buddies to Maddie's elderly father.

I simply do not have the vocabulary to convey how wonderful this audiobook is. So I'll stop here and repeat:

“It’s absolutely fantastic, so go and buy it immediately!”

Wonderful!

This is one of the best books I have listened to in a long time. I hated it to end. The combined talents of the author and the narrator make it a wonderful listen. I found myself very emotional. I can not honestly say that there have not been many books to bring me to tears. I would be amazed if whoever reads this book is not as touched by it as I was. Anyone have any kleenex?

So Great!

First: Nicholas Boulton is a freaking genius of audiobook narration. I don't mean to tell Audible how to so their job or anything, but basically they should have Boulton read everything.

Now, the story: This is an amazing take on the classic "reformed rake" trope. The hero, Jervaulx, is going about his rakish business when has what appears to be a stroke, suffers from aphasia/disorientation and rage so extreme his family has him institutionalized. The heroine, Archimedia Timms (called Maddy) is a determined Quaker lady who mostly helps out her blind father and does good deeds and whatnot, until she is suddenly and somewhat mysteriously inspired to intervene in Jervaulx's treatment at the institution, which is run by her uncle.

I know some readers found the combination of Maddy's emotional constipation and unthinking adherence to her Quaker principles rather trying. Others found Jervaulx's stilted speech to be difficult reading. To me, these seemed like true portraits of deep characters who really had to struggle, and the story is so well-written that often their progress sneaks up on you. The combination of powerful story and transcendentally excellent narration made this an un-put-down-able audiobook. Loved it!

very tiresome

what makes a story tiresome to ME (i emphasize me, does not apply to other people, just myself) will only name a few
1. unlikeable hero or heroine (in this case heroine, Mattie)
2. a love story with constant strife or conflict between hero and heroine
3. abuse of a physically handicap person (i know i know, in that time they did not know much about strokes and expressive aphasia) but come on its a romance novel
4. discussing a group of people be it (race, gender, religion, sexual orientation) that will negatively affect the way one feel about that group (i will never look at the word quaker the same)
to be honest listening to the hero trying to form and get words out was mentally draining.

It really could have been a great love story but it had too many negatives and too little positive moments

Brilliant

This ranks up there with my favorites. I could barely tear myself away from it, and this was a surprise since my expectations were modest.
The narrator was spectacular, especially as some of the dialogue must have been a serious challenge. I shall look for this reader in the future.

I really wanted to like this book

I adores the set up for this book but I couldn't really like either main character or feel their romance. I appreciate the the author took her time with the complexities of each characters' reasons for reticence, but I felt the heroine ended up being an idiot at times, seeming to be unwilling to grasp the realities of the world she found herself in.