A Respectable Trade

Historical Novels

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh

Length: 17 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl - a book about the devastating consequences of the slave trade in 19th century England.

Bristol in 1787 is booming, a city where power beckons those who dare to take risks. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs capital and a well-connected wife.

Marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah's protection, Frances finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum, and slaves.

Into her new world comes Mehuru, once a priest in the ancient African kingdom of Yoruba, now a slave in England. From opposite ends of the earth, despite the difference in status, Mehuru and Frances confront each other and their need for love and liberty.

©2019 Philippa Gregory (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Audio

TEN STARS!

To give this audiobook ten stars would not be enough! Philippa Gregory never disappoints. However, for this particular book, the real praise must go to Adjoa Andoh, the narrator. If there was a
“perfection” category, she just won the award. For me, the narration is everything. Her command of language and dialects is awe inspiring.
There is so much about the slave trade in Europe, America, and many other parts of the world that our history books have never told us. In today’s climate of bigotry and increasing racism, it would be prudent for us pause and educate ourselves in the hope that history will never be allowed to repeat itself in this regard. A Respectable Trade is a perfect way to begin.

An exquisite, sad, incredible book!!!

NO SPOILERS! We have all heard true accounts of the awful, cruel, unbearable stories of how our African brothers, sisters, wives, husbands were treated. Maybe some of us have witnessed the cruelty and injustice of racism. What Phillipa Gregory has been able to do, is wake up all of our senses to comprehend the feelings, thoughts, actions and experiences of the slaves. She puts us in the villages of Africa, the terror of capture, the pain, sorrow, mistreatment of the long ocean voyages. You definitely get a lesson on the true thoughts and feelings of each individual slave. The narrator, Adjoa Andoh is so extremely talented!!! She is able to go from a Sierra Leone accent to a Scottish scullery maid accent in an instant. There are several main characters in this book, and she tackled every one spot on!! I really don't know if this audiobook would have worked without Adjoa Andoh! I feel this book is a must read, must listen. Not just for historians....but to get the history of a very, very long, destructing, wretched period.. A period that went on for more than half of a millennium.

Meh

I like to listen to a book that’s not so full of drama sometime. A book that isn’t one disaster after another. A book that screams political correctness of the 17700 somethings that would never have been likely. Don’t waste your time.

Slavery for-profit among the proper

Stunning descriptions of the horrors of the slave trade as a Respectable Trade.
The performance was amazing.
I find the romance far fetched and the heroine not an inspiring character: “I am not courageous...”
Exactly.
However the story is riveting and seems to represent a lot of serious research in the writing.
I love Phillipa Gregory. What a talent.

Superficial and disappointing

I wanted to read this book because of the important subject of the slavery in Britain in the 18th century but I was disappointed. It is a very superficial story. It starts off pretty well but very quickly the story moves away from seriously and deep addressing the difficult issue of slavery and goes in trite directions of hatred and jealousy between two women, intrigue and unreliable infatuation. It seems like the writer can not write a book without a simplistic love affair and without someone who has the special forces to forseen the future. The characters are flat and unreliable and the story does not properly address this big important issue of slavery in Britain. Narration is okay.

All around a wonderful listen

This book was hands down one of the best listens I've ever experienced. The narrator was amazingly talented. While the writing being simultaneously excellent. You won't be sorry in choosing this book. So well done.

Please don‘t Scream

I wish someone would tell the reader to stop screaming, it hurts. The story is great.

Its Complicated...

Narrator was superb. The story is not one of her best. I struggle because the author is an excellent writer. The main characters were well developed, the story flowed... but... it was too sappy, there were too many exceptional circumstances to make the story work. I liked how the story was conveyed, just not in love with the story. I do want to add that Ms. McGuire did give you a lot to think about in terms of mindset during the time. Everyone was a victim in some way.

The Scolding

Cardboard characters dissolved in a morality tale. Even the magnificent narration couldn’t save this screed.

Wonderful!

The only thing I would have liked to go along with all of the excitement and interesting characters is some questions answered. What happens with such and such or how did something end up. I wanted more. I always do with her writing.