The City of Tears

The Joubert Family Chronicles, Book 2

By: Kate Mosse

Narrated by: Hattie Morahan

Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

A breathtaking historical novel of revenge, persecution and loss, The City of Tears by Kate Mosse follows on from her Sunday Times number-one best seller, The Burning Chambers.

May 1572: for 10 violent years the Wars of Religion have raged across France. Neighbours have become enemies, countless lives have been lost, and the country has been torn apart over matters of religion, citizenship and sovereignty. But now a precarious peace is in the balance and a royal wedding has been negotiated. It is a marriage that could see France reunited at last.

An invitation has arrived for Minou Joubert and her family to attend this historic wedding in Paris in August. But what Minou does not know is that the Joubert family’s oldest enemy, Vidal, will also be there. Nor that, within days of the marriage, on the eve of the Feast Day of St Bartholomew, her family will be scattered to the four winds and one of her beloved children will have disappeared without trace....

Sweeping from Paris and Chartres to the City of Tears itself - the great refugee city of Amsterdam - this is a story of one family’s fight to stay together and survive against the devastating tides of history....

©2021 Kate Mosse (P)2021 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Critic reviews

"A gorgeously written, utterly absorbing epic.... I absolutely loved it." (Lucy Foley)

"This is historical fiction to devour. Nobody does it like Kate Mosse." (Anthony Horowitz, on The Burning Chambers)

"A novel with vast scope and ambition, brilliantly achieved.... I was utterly immersed in this spell-binding story." (Rosamund Lupton, author of Three Hours)

On the heels of Hilary Mantel

Bringing this searing history to life in such a page-turning fashion is a true gift to the reader. The balanced performance also astounds through the authenticity of Dutch and French accents.

An appreciation by a Huguenot descendent

I was keen to read this book due to my ancestry and having enjoyed the burning chambers. I also have great admiration for Kate Mosse who, apart from being a great writer, is a major supporter of women authors. I really want to read the book now as with all the action and excitement I sometimes got slightly confused. Hattie Morahan is a wonderful narrator.

worth the wait

I've enjoyed Kate's books and waited for this to be released. I pre ordered months ago.
I have not been disappointed, brilliance as usual. If I a negative, I just wished I had re read the first part again.
If you enjoyed the other works by Kate I hope like me you will enjoy this.
Great story line and plot..I will leave it at that

Outstanding narration!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The storyline was good and historically interesting . But what really made it so special was the sheer BRILLIANCE of Hattie Morahan's narration. A wonderful dramatic performance, for that is what the whole Audiobook really felt like. It was a joy to listen to her.

Does not disappoint

Loved it. It took me a while to remember all the characters from the first book as it was a while since I read it, but I was happy to be back in the company of characters who felt so familiar. I am still confused about the 19th century aspects of the story as the book only moves us forward 20- ish years from the events of the first book. I guess I will just have to wait for the next book.

Excellent

I enjoyed this second book as much as the first. It was good to hear the story continued. The narration was superb. I would recommend this book.

brilliant book, captivating and full of history

narrator was good and added suspense and also made me believe in the characters and I could paint a picture in my head of how they looked and behaved.

a satisfactory ending

Another Kate mosse classic. expertly narrated once again and a fitting ending to the story

Excellent second book

It was great to follow Minou and her family again. Full of adventure threaded through historical facts.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I loved listening to The Burning Chambers and The City of Tears. Eagerly awaiting Book 3!

Kate Mosse gets better and better.

A continuation of the story from The Burning Chambers, characters we love and care about, entangled by strong threads of story woven through the back drop of 16th Century France. This book is part of a family saga involving refugees, religious upheaval and the love of two people and their family. I am sure there is another book to come, and I will be excited to read it when it comes out.