Golden Hill

A Novel of Old New York

By: Francis Spufford

Narrated by: Sarah Borges

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

• Winner of the Costa First Novel Award
• Winner of the RSL Ondaatje Prize
• Winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize
• Named "Novel of the Year" by the UK'S Sunday Times

The spectacular first novel from acclaimed nonfiction author Francis Spufford follows the adventures of a mysterious young man in mid-18th century Manhattan, 30 years before the American Revolution.

New York, a small town on the tip of Manhattan island, 1746. One rainy evening in November, a handsome young stranger fresh off the boat arrives at a countinghouse door on Golden Hill Street: This is Mr. Smith, amiable, charming, yet strangely determined to keep suspicion shimmering. For in his pocket, he has what seems to be an order for a thousand pounds, a huge sum, and he won't explain why, or where he comes from, or what he is planning to do in the colonies that requires so much money. Should the New York merchants trust him? Should they risk their credit and refuse to pay? Should they befriend him, seduce him, arrest him...maybe even kill him?

Rich in language and historical perception yet compulsively listenable, Golden Hill is a story "taut with twists and turns" that "keeps you gripped until its tour-de-force conclusion" (The Times, London). Spufford paints an irresistible picture of a New York provokingly different from its later metropolitan self but already entirely a place where a young man with a fast tongue can invent himself afresh, fall in love - and find a world of trouble.

©2017 Francis Spufford (P)2017 S&S Audio

Critic reviews

“Nothing short of a masterpiece.” ( The Guardian)

Good narration, even better tale

The mystery of "Richard Smith," a young man who shows up in mid-18th-century New York City with a £1000 check is examined over the course of this novel. Along the way there is romance, swordplay, double-dealing (with a feud between the colonial legislature and governor that mirrors the Obama-Congress stalemate of recent years). It almost seems Shakespearean.

Well...

...if you like a tale where the hero meets with one calamity after another, is insulted and wronged and never takes his recompense, then this book is for you. Nicely written and well-read, it nevertheless has a plot that disappoints.

Another Great Book Nearly Wrecked by Reader

I won't elaborate too much. The headline says it all. I really liked Francis Spufford's book, GOLDEN HILL, but to endure hours of the relentlessly colorless voice of limited expressive range plus the reader's droning tempo was a very large price to pay to complete this reading.

Wow

I consider myself a pretty savvy veteran of "books on tape." With a Sysiphean daily commute, I listen to a lot of books. This is hands down one of my all time favorites. Don't think twice (and remember that suggestion) -- do it.

A very good start

This was my first Audible book and I really enjoyed it. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with the different characters' coices.

Great View of NYC Everyday Life In The Late 1740s

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I did yesterday! My friend and I were born in NY State over seventy-five years ago, in different towns miles apart, along the Hudson river. Mysterious Mr Smith age 24 arrives alone in NYC with pop 7,000, from London, pop 70,000 and faces crisis after life threatening crisis without reveling why he is there.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Golden Hill?

Early one morning Mr Smith took a one day trip from lower Manhattan to Tarrytown and back, up on the incoming tide and back on the outgoing tide. The purpose of the trip was to pick-up farm products, and passengers. The counting house master's eldest daughter wanted Mr Smith to be away from lower Manhattan for another reason. FYI The first bridge to Manhattan Island opened in 1848, 100 years after My Smith arrived in Manhattan.

Which scene was your favorite?

I woke up at 3 am this morning wide awake and decided to listen to the last hour of the "Golden Hill" audio book. I'm glad I did! He came very close to being murdered again! and everything came together. I'm glad I didn't read the last chapter first.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My strong reaction is one of admiration for both the author and the narrator. Golden Hill is one of the very best of the about 100 audio books I've "read" since 2011.

Performance marred by continual mispronunciations

Excellent book and creditable performance marred by continual misreadings and mispronunciations. Kills the period atmosphere.

A twist on the swashbuckler

A well-told and well read novel of adventure and intrigue and humor, the story has the flavor of the daring feats of so many rogues. The difference is the fantastic twist that brings it at once from romance to a tale of contemporary significance. What if??

Immensely Engaging and Craetive

If you could sum up Golden Hill in three words, what would they be?

Unique, historic, delightful

What did you like best about this story?

The use of period language and tone-- shades of Tristan Shandy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The staging of Cato the Elder

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The machinations behind the relationship between Smith and Tabitha

Any additional comments?

Terrific reader-- granted a a dozen or so words were mispronounced but the reading was brilliant nevertheless!

What a delightful surprise!

Would you listen to Golden Hill again? Why?

The story is intricate, and involving. I loved the evocation of pre-revolutionary New York.

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

Her narrative and vocal skills are extraordinary