• Dragonsong: Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 1

  • By: Anne McCaffrey
  • Narrated by: Sally Darling
  • Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (4,615 ratings)

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Dragonsong: Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 1  By  cover art

Dragonsong: Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 1

By: Anne McCaffrey
Narrated by: Sally Darling
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Publisher's summary

Journey to the wonder-filled world of Pern in the first volume of Anne McCaffrey's best-selling Harper Hall Trilogy. Dragonsong is the spellbinding tale of Menolly of Half Circle Hold, a brave young girl who flees her seaside village and discovers the legendary fire lizards of Pern.

All her life, Menolly has longed to learn the ancient secrets of the Harpers, the master musicians of Harper Hall. When her stern father denies her the chance to make her dream come true, Menolly runs away from home. Hiding in a cave by the sea, she finds nine magical fire lizards who join her on a breathtaking journey to Harper Hall.

Anne McCaffrey's enchanting tales of Pern, with all their colorful dragons and fantastic characters, have won her millions of fans around the world. The winner of the Hugo and Nebula Award, she is one of the best-loved writers in all of fantasy literature.

Don't miss the other books in the Harper Hall Trilogy.
©1976 Anne McCaffrey (P)1992 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"McCaffrey uses great imaginative powers in constructing her intricate and intriguing story." ( Booklist)
"Menolly's independent, resolute character, the fascinating dragon lore, and a certain poetic quality of style all combine to create an original fantasy...akin to the work of Ursula LeGuin." ( Horn Book)

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What listeners say about Dragonsong: Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 1

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Brilliant

This trilogy is fantastic and Mrs. Darling gives a wonderful performance. I highly recommend the Harper Hall Trilogy to anyone even remotely interested in the Dragon riders of Pern series.

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What a wonderful story!!

I love this story!! I could "see" the fire lizards in my head! Anne McCaffrey once again took me to a world away from my own! Forr which I am genuinely grateful!! I reccomend this and all Anne McCaffrey books!! 5 stars from me!!

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Just as good as I remembered it!

I first read this when I was about 14 and fell in love with the world of Pern and the story of Menolly. I had a great time listening to Sally Darling's narration. Her slight drawl adds a softness to Menolly and fit with her rural upbringing. 5/5

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Good story

One of mrs mccaffrey’s first book. Read when I was a kid in the eighties. Story touches me to this day

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Wonderful narration of a favorite book

Any and all the works of Anne McCaffrey are favorites. Sally Darling is a narrator I've just discovered and she is wonderful.

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Wonderful story

I first read this story when I was 11 years old. It was the very first book I checked out from a library. Since that first time, in the past 3 decades, I have read this book over a dozen times, and I would listen to the audiobook on tape on several cross country road trips.

This story holds my childhood love for singing, my insecurities of not feeling like I fit in, and the hope that I could find my happiness somehow. This book is filled with all of that and more. I also fell more in love with dragons, since they are portrayed as good creatures and not viscous mindless beasts. I spent my youth imagining stories where I had a dragon companion as well as a fire lizard or two. I'm in my 40s and I still wish fire lizards and dragons were real.

The whole Dragonriders of Pern series, incuding the Harper Hall trilogy, is a fantastic story, even with the outdated patriarchal society. That's also something the author tried to show how the series' tone and society changed within itself. These books portray how difficult, but not impossible, it is to change the minds of stubborn old fools. Not everyone will change, that is reality, but once an idea takes root in their minds and the minds of the next generations, the change has more footing to become real.

This first book in the Harper Hall trilogy gives hope for the change for everyone to have the chance to follow their heart and be the best that they can be.

The narrator was ok. She is not the same one from the cassette tape audiobook I had. Her pronunciation of some of the names were not how I Imagined them, and her tone was a little too dry. I still enjoyed this audiobook.

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My heart!

The beginning of the book made me so frustrated! But the rest of it made it all worth it!!! Anne knows how to make my heart race in anxiousness and then quell it and make it full of hope and happiness! Her stories are so wonderful!

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a book to read over and over.

This was my intro into s/f. many years ago, my teacher had all of us read it. that teacher gave me the greatest gift. the love of reading , and a love of s/f. thanks Ann for all hrs of reading you have given all of us.

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Classic

I have enjoyed these books my entire life they have been a welcome escape from reality

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Love

I love this series of books. Pern and the thread. It helps a lot if you read the other books before listening to this book. That way you know the back stories.

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