Wickwythe Hall

By: Judithe Little

Narrated by: Sarah Nichols

Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

May 1940. Hitler invades France, a move that threatens all of Europe, and three lives intersect at Wickwythe Hall, an opulent estate in the English countryside - a beautiful French refugee, a take-charge American heiress, and a charming champagne vendeur with ties to Roosevelt and Churchill who isn't what he seems. There, secrets and unexpected liaisons unfold, until a shocking tragedy in a far-off Algerian port binds them forever....

Wickwythe Hall is inspired by actual people, places, and events, including Operation Catapult, a sea action in which Churchill launched a bloody attack on the French fleet to keep the powerful ships out of Hitler's reach. More than 1,000 French sailors, who just days before fought side-by-side with the British, perished. Humanizing this forgotten piece of history, Wickwythe Hall takes the listener behind the blackout curtains of upper-class England, through the bustling private quarters of Churchill's Downing Street, and along the tense back alleys of occupied Vichy, illustrating what it took to survive in the dark early days of World War II.

©2017 Judithe Little (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Refreshing change of storyline!

Not the typical storyline as most of the ww2 historical fiction novels. EXCELLENT narration. Being Southern born & bred, someone trying to fake a Southern accent usually grates like fingernails on a chalkboard. I have no idea of this narrator's Southern authenticity - she did a fabulous job!

WWII Stories Always Draw Me In

Another interesting & realistic WWII story told from a different point of view - that of the women left behind to cope, wait & pray that they aren’t bombed & that their men come back home when it’s over.
I’m not into battle or fight scenes at all, so this story was right up my alley. It begins right when Hitler starts his crazy world domination fantasy by invading small countries & killing women & children.
The story continues on right through to the end of the war mostly on the huge English country estate of Wickwythe Hall.
The characters seem very realistic & the story is based on true events & even some real people like Winston Churchill.
Of course, there’s a sweet love story upon which much of the story revolves. It’s a very satisfying read/listen. I highly recommend it if you enjoy this genre. I listened to it one day!

Very good listen!

I was unaware of this WWII event ...

The story kept me captivated and the narration was good. The narrator has a good voice for everyone, especially Churchill!

I would recommend!

Absolutely excellent.

This story completely caught me off guard... I had no idea I wouldn't be able to stop listening! Beautiful story, prose, and narration. Superb find.

About the book

The voice used for Churchill made me laugh, it was utterly fake. Not even trying. And more time was spent on personal storyline then the actual Operation Catapult. That was mentioned only for a few minutes.

Interesting story I had not learned about

The stories told in this book made me curious to learn more about the relationships between the US, Britain, and France during WWII. I found myself researching and wanting to learn more. I listened to this on Audible and had a hard time listening to the narrated voices of Mabry and Winston Churchill. Other than that I really enjoyed it.

A Solid Read

It's a good book with real life twists. The ending was satisfying, though it came about rather abruptly, especially compared with the slower pace of the rest of the book. The overall narration was okay, but certain voices (eg. Churchill) grated.

Wonderful Plot and Reading

The plot took a little while to develop, but that enhanced the characters. It felt like being in the grand old English estate. The description of life in WWII Europe is, tragically, an unheeded precursor to today's Ukraine.

Well…….

As others has mentioned….it just had a jerky ending. Too quick to end. Wish Reed had stayed with her.

Huh?

Disappointing at the end as the author rushed the ending! This ruined the drama
for me#