Tidelands Volume 1

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Louise Brealey

This New York Times bestseller from “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different.

A country at war
A king beheaded
A woman with a dangerous secret

On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.

England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands.

“This is Gregory par excellence” (Kirkus Reviews). “Fans of Gregory’s works and of historicals in general will delight in this page-turning tale” (Library Journal, starred review) that is “superb… A searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages” (People).

Critic reviews

"A new series from Philippa Gregory is always a chance to do a happy dance. Louise Brealey's exceptional narration gives this title the life it deserves. In 1648, after his defeat in England's Civil War, King Charles is exiled to the Isle of Wight. Superstition and religious persecution permeate the tiny town and desolate tidelands of the region. One of the inhabitants is wise woman, herbalist, and midwife Alinor, whose husband, a fisherman, is missing. Looking for a spiritual sign, she goes to a cemetery, where she encounters James, a disguised Catholic priest. It proves to be a life-altering meeting. Brealey makes each of Gregory's incredibly detailed moments believable—from the treacherous tides and deadly intrigues to the dangers of just being human."

A woman like you...

A woman like Elinor was just too kind, too loving, too forgiving, and much more than she gave herself credit for. She was too good for any man that entered her life.
Philippa Gregory steps out of the Tudor reign and moves forward to the mid 17th century. King Charles I is being tried for treason. James is a priest turned spy and falls in love with Elinor. This is not your sticky sweet love story. If it was, I would have turned off the audio. Elinor is just way too good for him and too bad she doesn't realize her worth. She lives in poverty and works harder than any animal. She perseveres in a small village ... she is a midwife and a healer. The people of the Tideland love her as long as she keeps serving their needs. They are all very poor, but there is still a class domination. It's poor, poorer, and the poorest.
You will walk the Tidelands with Elinor and her family. Philippa Gregory will put you there.
The narration is wonderful. There are parts of this novel that will move you to tears. It certainly did to me. I didn't want it to end...especially an ending that I didn't see coming.
I will definitely look forward to the next installment of the Tidelands.









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It was a fast moving novel .

I truly enjoyed it
Phillipa G. Is my favorite author,
She never disappoints. I’m sure I’ve
Read all of her novels.
Thank you!!!!! Keep it up👍👍👌

Enthralling

I immensely enjoyed listening to this audio book and the narrator was completely captivating. A very good listen.

Tidelands

I found the beginning a little slow but became involved with the story around the 3rd chapter.
I was disappointed in the ending that the author stopped the story suddenly

Very good

Good storyline. Easy to understand. Very good story. Unfair what happened to heroism Could not see what would happen to the mother