Sarah's Cottage

By: D. E. Stevenson

Narrated by: Hilary Neville

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

Recently married to Charles, Sarah is furnishing a cottage in Scotland and starting on a life in sharp contrast to their wartime experiences. Their full entrance into village life is helped by Sarah's delightful grandparents, who have given them the land on which they have built their cottage.

They work together, collaborating in translations for a publisher. Charles embarks on more ambitious writing, his autobiography, yet increasingly it is not books but life itself that engrosses him and Sarah. In particular Frederica, the daughter of Sarah's frivolous and pleasure-seeking sister, commands their sympathy and love.

One by one the characters of a large attractive family make their appearance but it is through Frederica that the nexus of family problems is finally resolved.

©1968 D. E. Stevenson (P)2009 Soundings

Engaging old fashioned story

Sarah and her husband are newly married. Husband has survived many years in a prison camp and has turned his back on his homeland of Germany. Together, the couple embrace their small, gentle world of rural simplicity in the Scottish highlands. They are close to Sarah's aging parents, who live nearby; they take Sarah's neglected niece under their wing and save her from the attentions of a handsome ne'er do well. It isn't suspenseful or funny, just a gentle and curiously engaging story about unpretentious, kind people whom you would love to have as friends and neighbors. Narration is just right for this story--well differentiated characters, eloquent but no scenery chewing. If you want a break from nail biting suspense, step in to the world of D. E. Stevenson for a few hours and feel refreshed and restored.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Charming and peaceful Scottish novel

D.E. Stevenson was a wonderful author. Imagine a small town series such as the Mitford novels by Jan Karon or the Miss Read books, but in this case the setting is the countryside of Scotland during the 1940's and 50's. The warmth of Stevenson's characters always leave me smiling and wishing them well. Well done, Audible! Please offer more.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Good but it's part 2 of a duology

This book is good but to me it lacks something without first having read Sarah Morris Remembers - or listened to it. Sarah Morris Remembered tells the pre-war and wartime love story of Sarah and Charles Reed which is even better I think than Sarah's Cottage. I hope Audible will add Sarah Morris Remembered!

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Classic D.E. Stevenson

These classic books,long out of print, are such a welcome addition to Audible . Author D.E. Stevenson is often compared to Jane Austin and the Brontes. I was so pleased to find that Audible had acquired some of them on audio. I have been a long time fan of Stevenson I have almost every book she has written and these vintage stories from England only improve with listening.
D.E. Stevenson has over 50 books to her credit which were translated into many languages, transcribe into braille then made into "Talking books" The most famous books were the "Mrs Tim Christie" series that came out during WW2. I can only hope that someone will record these and Audible will acquire the rights to offer them here in the U.S.
.The only ones I did not like as much were the previously unpublished works " The Fair Miss Fortune" and" Peter West". These were her first novels and she did not feel they were up to her standards and did not allow them to be published while she was alive.
Anyone who likes Pastoral Settings in England and Scotland during the middle of last century will love these books.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

A delightful glimpse of the past

I love the job that Hilary Neville had done reading several books by D. E. Stevenson. Her preformance of Sarah's Cottage is a delight, taking us to small town/rural Scotland in the years just after WWII. I love the books by D. E. Stevenson and find the biggest weakness of this book is that we don't have a version of Sarah Morris Remembers, the book that comes before this one avaliable to listen to as well. To hear one book by D. E. Stevenson is to want to hear more!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Flat narration mars post WW2 story

Would you try another book from D. E. Stevenson and/or Hilary Neville?

I loved the Miss Buncle series of books by D.E.Stevenson - very amusing. This story loses the humor and reads like a journal of everyday activities for this woman and her family - some serious, some menial. The descriptions of Scotland are lovely. It is fascinating to hear this character talk about her role as a dutiful wife, whose job is to "cook supper for my husband". I also got a kick out of her husband worrying that she might be overexhausted from the effort of caring for herself and the house while the housekeeper takes a vacation! Different times, different roles - fascinating to a 21st cetury housewife, mother and full time employee. I will try other books by this author, but I hope to find one with more laughs.

As for Hilary Neville! What a come down after listening to Patricia Gallimore reading the Buncle series. Ms Neville's reading was uninspiring. It was difficult at times to know which character was speaking as she did minimal alteration of her voice to suit the character - except for the childrens voices perhaps. She showed no emotion in her voice, it felt like she was reading because she had to, not to tell us a lovely story. I will avoid her narrations in future.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

love d e stevenson books, great narration

this book is a wonderful d e atevenaon novel. the plot does not move as quickly as her other novels but instead the book covers happenings over many years. this is a relaxing book with interesting characters

Wonderful reader

This is a lively sequel to Sarah Morris Remembers. The reader is very skillfull and a pleasure to listen to.

Boring

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This was the most boring book ever, I gave it may all, over half of of the first half of the book. I wanted it to get better, but it stayed the same, did not move past. It was ery interseting at first but stayed the same story did not alter fast enough to stay interesting.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful