Patricia Falvey has 4 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 3 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 3 ratings. The most-rated is The Girls of Ennismore.
The Girls of Ennismore
Summary
Set in Ireland during the turbulent early 20th century, Patricia Falvey's sweeping novel explores an unlikely friendship between two girls of vastly different backgrounds, as each tries to overcome the barriers set by class and birthright... On a June morning in 1900, Rosie Killeen crosses the road that divides her family's County Mayo farm from the estate of Lord and Lady Ennis, and makes her way to the "big house" for the first time. Barely eight years old, Rosie joins the throng of servants preparing for the arrival of Queen Victoria. But while the royal visit is a coup for Ennismore, a chance meeting on the grounds proves even more momentous for Rosie. Victoria Bell, Lord and Lady Ennis's young daughter, is desperately lonely. Though the children of the gentry seldom fraternize with locals, Lord Ennis arranges for Rosie to join in Victoria's school lessons. For Rosie, the opportunity is exhilarating yet isolating. Victoria's governess and aunt, Lady Louisa, objects to teaching a peasant girl. The other servants resent Rosie's escape from the drudgery of life below stairs. Bright, strong-willed Rosie finds herself caught between her own people and the rarefied air of Ennismore - especially as she grows closer to Victoria's older brother, Valentine. As they near womanhood, the girls' friendship is interrupted. Victoria is bound for a coming out season in Dublin, and Rosie must find a way to support her family. But Ireland is changing too. The country's struggle for Home Rule, the outbreak of the Great War, and a looming Easter rebellion in Dublin all herald a new era. Not even Ennismore can escape unscathed. And for Rosie, family loyalty, love, friendship and patriotism will collide in life-changing ways, leading her through heartbreak and loss in search of her own triumphant independence.
©2017 Patricia Falvey (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.
Les filles d'Ennismore
Summary
Amitié, jalousie, lutte des classes, émancipation féminine, drame amoureux... À l'aube du XXe siècle, au cœur d'une Irlande en ébullition, une saga inoubliable dans la droite ligne de Downton Abbey.
Rosie a huit ans, elle est fille de métayer ; quand elle sera grande, elle servira la famille Ennis, comme sa mère et sa sœur avant elle. Victoria a sept ans, elle est la fille de lord et lady Ennis ; quand elle sera grande, elle quittera le domaine d'Ennismore pour faire un beau mariage. En attendant, Victoria se sent seule et rêve de partager ses secrets avec la fille du métayer qu'elle a rencontrée dans le parc de la propriété. Et pourquoi pas ? C'est décidé, dès septembre, la petite paysanne partagera les leçons de la demoiselle du château. Mais, dans une société écrasée sous le poids des conventions et des hiérarchies, est-il bien raisonnable de semer des aspirations égalitaires dans le cœur des jeunes filles ? Car un vent de révolte souffle sur l'Irlande et cette amitié qui éclot pourrait bien bouleverser leur vie ainsi que celle de leur entourage... Rosie et Victoria trouveront-elles la force de lutter contre la marche de l'Histoire qui menace de les déchirer ?
©2019 Belfond. Traduit de l'anglais (Irlande) par Julia Taylor (P)2019 Audible Studios
The Linen Queen
Summary
Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone. When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors - one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast. Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside to fight the Germans. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.
©2011 Patricia Falvey (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
The Yellow House
Summary
The Yellow House delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life. She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore.
©2009 Patricia Falvey (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books