Winter Solstice

By: Rosamunde Pilcher

Narrated by: Jilly Bond

Length: 17 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rosamunde Pilcher's captivating best seller of loss and the healing power of love.

Elfrida Phipps loves her new life in her pretty Hampshire village. She has a tiny cottage, her faithful dog, Horace, and the friendship of the neighbouring Blundells - particularly Oscar - to ensure that her days include companionship as well as independence. But an unforeseen tragedy upsets Elfrida's tranquillity: Oscar's wife and daughter are killed in a terrible car crash, and he finds himself homeless when his stepchildren claim their dead mother's inheritance.

Oscar and Elfrida take refuge in a rambling house in Scotland which becomes a magnet for various waifs and strays who converge upon it, including an unhappy teenage girl. It could be a recipe for disaster. But somehow the Christmas season weaves its magical spell, and for Elfrida and Oscar, in the evening of their lives, the winter solstice brings love and solace.

©2000 Rosamunde Pilcher (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Marvellous

Lovely story read the book many years ago and lovely to listen to it now

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable and sweet

In the beginning I did not like the narrators voice too much, or rather the way she impersonated the male characters. But along the way I got used to it and enjoyed the book. I like Winter Solstice and The Shell Seekers best of all Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels and I’m truly glad that this book is now available at Audible. Thank you!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

narration issues

I really enjoyed the story, more than I initially thought I would as the beginning is slightly slower than most of Rosamunde Pilchers stories.

The narration was mostly good however Jilly Bond alters the volume at which she speaks during chapters even where there's no reason to, which makes it very difficult to pick a suitable volume to play the story at. Please can you just pick a volume and stick at it unless the story dictates that you shout or speak quietly?

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Lovely Christmas story

This is a real Christmas feel good story. Very Rosamunde Pilcher , the characters seem from another time altogether but that’s part of the charm. It’s a long tale with ups and downs but with Christmas spirit shining through and everything turning out wonderfully well by the end.

The narrator was pretty good overall except for two characters....one who had a strong American accent for some reason even though he had only lived there for a few years and the other, a teenage girl, was given a very babyish voice which I couldn’t bear to listen to and so always found something else to do when her short chapter of her diary was read out.

But overall it was very good and leaves you with a warm glow.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

great listen

great story, well narrated and a good length. would definitely recommend to anyone. get it!

Accents

Couldn't understand why Sam would speak with an American accent having been born and grown up in England and spent only a few years in the states?

Love this book

Really enjoyed this book - Rosamund Pilcher is one of my favourite authors. This is a delightful book, sad on times but so enjoyable.

Wonderful Book

Such a lovely feel good book, Rosamund Pilcher knows how to tell a stories and great performance by the Jilly Bond.
An all time favourite now!

A most delightful story

This is a most beautiful story and I didn’t want it to end so I hope there is a sequel to tell how everything turns out for the family and the people who live in the village..

I loved this book - and the recording

I absolutely loved this story, I loved the characters (even though morally speaking, some of their actions were pretty suspect)
I loved the depiction of Scotland and I loved the reading of it.
I didn't want the recording to end. I even considered re-starting the book the moment it finished. I will listen to this again.
Jilly Bond read it beautifully and she has a lovely way of infusing warmth into her reading.
It's a lovely, light read with loads of story - bit light on characterisation but utterly charming