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The Winter Sea  By  cover art

The Winter Sea

By: Susanna Kearsley
Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
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Editorial reviews

When venturing into the historical fiction genre, I’m often drawn to specific, brief events that were either glossed over or left entirely out of the history books, as opposed to those that cover broad subjects that can be densely overwhelming. Given a subject like Henry XIII and his wives or Joan of Arc, both popular subjects of the genre, an author could easily lose an audience to an overwhelming amount of explanation and facts. Instead, Susanna Kearsley’s The Winter Sea offers a narrow, controlled exploration of a lesser known event, the 1708 Jacobite failed uprising by James Stewart against William of Orange and Mary Stewart to reclaim the throne. It is an enthralling story that makes the facts and descriptions of the people and places surrounding the uprising much more palatable and absorbing.

The Winter Sea also offers a unique narrative format. Main character and popular historical fiction novelist Carrie McClelland rents a cottage for the summer on the coast of Scotland, not far from Slain Castle (where she sets her story) and where the Jacobite uprising occurred centuries ago. Thus, The Winter Sea has two narratives: McClelland in present day Scotland, writing her novel; and McClelland’s novel, a work in progress detailing the Jacobite uprising in 1708 Scotland. Such a narrative format is fodder for narrator Rosalyn Landor, whose performance skillfully embodies the complex mind of a writer. Her voicing of Carrie is investigative, creative, imaginative, and discerning. Her deep, expressive tone allows her the versatility to voice the myriad supporting characters, both male and female, past and present. The dreamlike writing sequences of McClelland writing her novel really sing under Landor’s rendering. With Landor as a guide, it’s easy to lose yourself in The Winter Sea’s journey through Scotland and through history.

The Winter Sea confidently flourishes in the intrigue surrounding this political uprising, while also offering the accommodating narrative device of delivering the story through the mind of a writer. Kearsley and Landor together remind us that history does not have to get bogged down by the facts, but instead can be thrilling, suspenseful, and imaginative, especially when presented from a unique perspective. Suzanne Day

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)

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What listeners say about The Winter Sea

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  • Overall
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Masterful tale

Moved seamlessly between two time periods blending into one beautiful moving story. Loved the blend of fiction and non fiction

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Two stories in one

Excellent. Didn't want it to end. Wonderful descriptions of the surroundings. Fascinating and interesting switch between two time periods

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story and ending.

I would have been very disappointed if it had not ended the way I figured it out. But it kept me in suspense wondering if I was right or wrong.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

If you are an Outlander fan...?

If you are an Outlander fan you will love this one! I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next one in the series.

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unusual story and incredibly well performed!

The story skirts around the theme of reincarnation without actually exploring it, but it pulls the listener in just the same. It's a good read and very well performed by the reader.

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Great book

This was a great read- it was slow to get into the first chapter or 2 but after that the story took hold

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Great story by a wonderful author

Very interesting, engaging story of an author writing a historical novel in modern day Scotland. Love how Ms. Kearsley intertwines the historical story with the modern one, until they are one story. Narrator does a great job with all the accents of the characters too.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Feel the hurt and to want to know each step taken.

If you could sum up The Winter Sea in three words, what would they be?

You step into a world whose culture is mystical and sometimes horrid. The more steps you take into this culture, the more you are pulled in wanting to know more. Well written and well read. I would recommend this to people who are interested in other cultures and enjoy an adventure that transports you with her imagery and fluidness of her writing.

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  • Overall
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An intricately woven story

I love historical fiction. This book carefully and skillfully weaves history, romance, and revelations about the skill of writing. The characters were wonderful, and the listener becomes vested in them immediately.

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Most enjoyable historical fiction/romance

I've read it. I've listened to it. And I'm ready to do it again. What a tremendous book! The historical fiction is set to the Jacobite rebellion, not a topic I've ever been interested in, actually. But no matter. This book--both stories (you'll see what I mean)--created the interest and maintained it. Kearsley creates characters you can care about in every century. This book is full of suspense down to the last sentence. Don't miss it. (I still can't decide whether I like this or Kearsley's The Rose Garden best. I've re-read both, something I rarely do. This one grabbed my attention more quickly but other than that I think it's a toss up. They are both over the top fantastic. (This review is by the female half of this account, btw)

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