Tidelands

The Fairmile Series, Book 1

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Louise Brealey

Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

This New York Times best seller 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). 

©2019 Philippa Gregory (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Audio

Please pay close attention to the opening scenes and description of the land and sea

I didn’t pay attention and had to back tract to find what I missed.
Her usual good story. What a class system cruelty between the classes seemed to be no place for a woman succeed in 1647 england.
Can’t wait for part 2 of this story

Trite ending

I always enjoy miss Gregory's stories. However, this one had a very unsatisfactory and predictable ending. Surely there is more to the story, and a bit of redemption at the end would not have come of this period

Deeply satisfied, and longing for more!

I can’t remember when a book has left me so deeply satisfied, from the first word, to the very last. An avid Philippa Gregory reader, for years, I have to say that she has outdone herself with this compelling story and her own brand of “magic” in it’s telling! My favorite aspect, as always, is her ability to draw her characters from the page with such skill as to conjure them into full life, completely fleshed out into human beings of bone and blood, with purpose and foibles as real as you and I. In this first book of the new Tidelands series, I believe we are in for more surprises than the unexpected twist in this one, and I’m now eagerly on a vigil, until the next book in this series is in my hands!

A woman like you in a place like this

This story captured my heart and mind from the first paragraph. Philippa Gregory has a gift for weaving together history and story. She peoples her stories with unforgettable characters and sets them in expertly drawn locations.
I could not stop listening and felt that I was living the story. I enjoyed the historical detail and the well drawn depiction of domestic life and the hard work it took to survive. The characters came to life with realistic personalities and genuine strengths, weaknesses and flaws.
I don’t understand the criticism of the ending or the pace. I will be impatiently awaiting the next installment.

I love everything by Philippa Gregory but I found this story very disturbing

I love historical fiction and especially historical fiction by Philippa Gregory. I was not expecting a romance novel but this story was so sad and too disturbing for me. I definitely recommend this author but not this book.

Awesome book

It’s a can’t put down book. Phillipa Gregory always comes thru with an awesome book. And Ms. Amato reads to perfection. Don’t miss this one.

OK

was slow but interesting story. it picked up and was getting good. then the ending went no where

Conflicted

I generally liked this book for its detailed descriptions of everyday life in a sea coast English town in 1648. And although I read much historical fiction, I don't know too much about this particular time period in England so I enjoyed this setting. However, I thought the ending was improbable and very sudden in that it just dropped off. Regardless, I will most likely read the sequel.

Not one of her better book

Was very disappointed- some was interesting but ending was anti-climactic. Stay with more historical novels. This wasn’t good.

Good Book

I enjoyed this book. It’s not my normal pick but, I was pleasantly surprised. I listened day and night until it was over.