Somerset

By: Leila Meacham

Narrated by: Teresa DeBerry

One hundred fifty years of Roses' Tolivers, Warwicks, and DuMonts! We begin in the antebellum South on Plantation Alley in South Carolina, where Silas Toliver, deprived of his inheritance, joins up with his best friend Jeremy Warwick to plan a wagon train expedition to the "black waxy" promise of a new territory called Texas. Slavery, westward expansion, abolition, the Civil War, love, marriage, friendship, tragedy and triumph-all the ingredients (and much more) that made so many love Roses so much-are here in abundance.

©2014 Leila Meacham (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Meacham sets her tale against the backdrop of historical upheavals, even the Civil War takes a backseat to the Tolivers’ domestic dramas full of intrigue and tragedy." ( Booklist)

Tragic story

The book is well-written and engaging. The narrator is wonderful. I bought it because it was so highly recommended and a friend loved it as well. I love historical fiction - especially a series! However, I just couldn’t take the heartbreaking tragedies that befell the families over and over again. I stopped listening with 2 hours remaining. It’s a good story, but I guess I was looking for an escape from real life tragedies and didn’t get it from this one.

A favorite book!

I have read this and now listened to it and it remains one of my favorite books! Leila Machen is a very talented writer and I enjoy her stories!

Narration is terrible, but the story is superb.

What did you love best about Somerset?

I loved the sweeping historical fiction as well as the background for my favorite of Meacham's books: Roses. Silas and Jessica were both well-rounded and likable characters, and Thomas and Vernon later on.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed Silas and Jessica equally, and Tippy was also an interesting character early on, though I would have liked to have heard her more developed. She basically disappeared about halfway through the book.

What didn’t you like about Teresa DeBerry’s performance?

Incredibly over acted, her voice at times in the early portions of the book was like nails on a chalkboard. Especially with Elizabeth and Tippy's characters. I think the narrator for Roses did a much, much better job. I enjoyed the story enough to grin and bear it and after about 2-3 hours into the book I got used to it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, the narration was too annoying.

Any additional comments?

The narration is the only bad thing I have to say about this book.

Wonderful! I dearly loved Roses, so I should have known this would be amazing too!

I have thought about Roses years and years after reading it and expect this story to stick in my mind as well. Leila Meacham does such a wonderful job at these family sagas.

Saying good bye is hard

Where does Somerset rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks as one of the best fiction pieces I have read. I was sad when it was over.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the historic detail given to the location and it's characters. Each character was greatly developed throughout the book while keeping to the essence of their traits and actions.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were so many favorite scenes. Bit I think it would any scene with Silas. He loved her more than anyone would ever know.

Any additional comments?

I found myself staying in my car after a long drive just so that I could continue hearing the story. The narrator was fabulous and believable.

Almost as good as “Roses”

I thought “Roses” was excellent and so I thought I’d listen to the prequel. At first I was disappointed, as it is not as successful at drawing in the reader and was difficult to identify as involving the same families. Once the reader accepts this, the book is very engaging, albeit darker than “Roses”, no doubt owing to the time period in which it is set. With that in mind, I would certainly recommend.

Overall great book.

Being a Texan the mispronunciation of names irritated me. Otherwise I did enjoy the southern accent.

at least it wasn't steamy!

I look for long historic fiction, which I thought this was. it was more of a romance, but not terrible - except for the narrator, who sounded like a shaky old woman.

Historical fiction

Takes place mainly in Texas during the westward expansion period and covers slavery, Civil War, and other historical events and how they effect this family.

Epic story is a prequel to the author’s Roses.

Somerset

fantastic book!! I am so glad you wrote a prequel to Roses. Roses is a book I've read many times.