Nicolette McKenzie has narrated 45 audiobooks on Listento.it by 27 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.7★ across 274 ratings. The most-rated is The Butterfly Room.
The Butterfly Room
Summary
Full of her trademark mix of unforgettable characters and heartbreaking secrets, The Butterfly Room is the new spellbinding, multi-generational story from Sunday Times best seller Lucinda Riley. Posy Montague is approaching her 70th birthday. Still living in her beautiful family home, Admiral House, set in the glorious Suffolk countryside where she spent her own idyllic childhood catching butterflies with her beloved father, and raised her own children, Posy knows she must make an agonising decision. The house is crumbling around her, and Posy knows the time has come to sell it. Then a face appears from the past - Freddie, her first love, who abandoned her and left her heartbroken 50 years ago. Already struggling to cope with her son Sam’s inept business dealings and the sudden reappearance of her younger son, Nick, Posy is reluctant to trust in Freddie’s renewed affection. And unbeknownst to Posy, Freddie - and Admiral House - have a devastating secret to reveal....
©2019 Lucinda Riley (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd
Stories That Stick
Summary
A clear framework of ideals and a concise set of actions for you to take complete control of your own story, utilizing the principles behind the world’s most effective business storytelling strategies. You keep hearing how story is the latest-and-greatest business tool, and that storytelling can do everything — from helping leaders better communicate to motivating sales teams and winning customers away from competitors. But what stories do you need to tell? And how do you tell them? In Stories That Stick, Kindra Hall, professional storyteller and nationally-known speaker, reveals the four unique stories you can use to differentiate, captivate, and elevate: The Value Story, to convince customers they need what you provide The Founder Story, to persuade investors and customers your organization is worth the investment The Purpose Story, to align and inspire your employees and internal customers The Customer Story, to allow those who use your product or service to share their authentic experiences with others Telling these stories well is a simple, accessible skill anyone can develop. With case studies, company profiles, and anecdotes backed with original research, Hall presents storytelling as the underutilized talent that separates the good from the best in business. She offers specific, actionable steps listeners can take to find, craft, and leverage the stories they already have and simply aren’t telling. Every person, every organization has at least four stories at their disposal. Will you tell yours?
©2019 Kindra Hall (P)2019 HarperCollins Leadership
The Ship of Brides
Summary
Australia, 1946: 650 brides are departing for England to meet the men they married in wartime. But instead of the luxury liner they were expecting, they find themselves aboard an aircraft carrier, alongside a thousand men. On the sun-baked decks, old loves and past promises become distant memories, and tensions are stretched to the limit as brides and husbands change their minds. And for Frances Mackenzie, it soon becomes clear that the journey is more important than the destination....
©2005 Jojo Moyes (P)2005 W F Howes Ltd
Lyra's Oxford
Summary
The Book of Dust, the long-awaited new novel from Philip Pullman set in the world of His Dark Materials and narrated by Michael Sheen, has been hailed by the New York Times as "a stunning achievement." Find it on audio from Listening Library. An exciting tale set in the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials saga Lyra's Oxford opens in the thrilling comfort and familiarity of Jordan College, where Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon sit on the sun-drenched roof looking out over all of Oxford. But their peace is shattered when a strange bird (a witch's daemon, on its own) tumbles out of the sky. It is Ragi, daemon of Yelena Pazhets, and he seeks a healing elixir from an infamous Oxford alchemist (and rumored man-slaughterer) to cure his witch of a strange new disease from the South. Lyra and Pan decide to help and guide him (witches are friends, of course), but the closer their winding walk leads them to the alchemist's house, the stronger Lyra's sense that she's walking into a deadly trap.
©2003 Philip Pullman (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, a division of Random House, Inc.
The Shadow Queen
Summary
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and her father's life. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common - magic. She'll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol's father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own - and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman - and bring her Lorelai's heart. But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected - beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable - and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman - who she likes far more than she should-Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn't going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
©2016 C. J. Redwine (P)2016 Tantor
The Life of the Buddha
Summary
This unique biography, told in a lively manner through six 'voices', presents the Buddha's revolutionary solution for humanity that lends to the end of ill will, craving and delusion. It goes back to the earliest sources of the Buddha's life and teachings, drawing as it does from the Pali Canon which was said to record the words that the Buddha spoke, the events that happened, and his specific teachings on which the world-wide religion was based. It is an absorbing, edifying and even entertaining collection of reportage, myths, wisdom, kindness, human insight - and decisiveness. For 45 years after his enlightenment he walked around North-Eastern India, encountering and teaching kings, courtesans, matted-hair ascetics, murderers, men and women on spiritual quests - and many ordinary people living ordinary lives in 5th century BCE, but who were grateful for his compassion and advice. Sometimes he teaches through rich metaphors. Sometimes he teaches through scientific analyses of mental states. In one tender moment, he helps his own son, Rahula, to gain enlightenment. The Buddha was not only clear about life, and how, and why, it should be lived, but endeavoured to create a practical framework that monks, nuns and laymen and laywomen could follow to 'disentangle the tangle' and reach enlightenment. Not a god or a divine, but a truly remarkable and fulfilled human being. Bhikkhu Ñanamoli's remarkable work - an innovative biography that has become a classic treasured by Buddhists of all traditions - speaks directly, giving us a flavour of what it was like to be around Siddhattha Gotama, the Buddha. Bhikkhu Ñanamoli (Osbert Moore) was born in England in 1905 and graduated from Exeter College, Oxford. In 1948 he came to Sri Lanka to be ordained as a monk. During his 11 years as a monk, he translated some of the most difficult texts of Theravada Buddhism. In The Life of the Buddha, however, he made the teachings accessible to all.
©1972 Buddhist Publication Society (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd
Great Disciples of the Buddha
Summary
Twenty-four of the Buddha's most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. They include monks who were very close to him throughout his life, including Sariputta and Mahamoggallana; his cousin and companion Ananda; his principal women disciples, including the nun Isidasi and his lay disciple, the courtesan Ambapali; and the serial killer Angulimala, whose character was transformed after meeting the Buddha. Drawn from a wide range of authentic Pali sources, the material in these stories has never before been assembled in a single volume. Through these engaging tales - incorporating both historical material and myth - we meet all manner of human beings - rich, poor, male, female, young, old - whose unique stories are told with an eye to the details of ordinary human concerns. When heard with careful attention, these stories can sharpen our understanding of the Buddhist path by allowing us to contemplate the living portraits of the people who fulfilled the early Buddhist ideals of human perfection. Other characters include the nuns Nanda and Visakha and the monks Anuruddha and Mahakaccana. Great Disciples of the Buddha allows the listener to easily place each student in the larger picture of Buddha's life and provides a glimpse into the lives and personalities of those who lived, knew and followed the Buddha as he walked the paths of India 2,500 years ago, teaching wherever he went.
©2003 Bhikkhu Bodhi (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd
Silver Bay
Summary
Liza McCullen will never escape her past, but the unspoilt beaches and tight-knit community of Silver Bay offer the safety she craves for her young daughter, Hannah...until Mike Dormer arrives, and the peace of Silver Bay is shattered. The mild-mannered Englishman could destroy everything Liza has worked so hard to protect: not only the family business and the bay that harbours her beloved whales but also her conviction that she will never love again.
©2007 Jojo Moyes (P)2007 W.F. Howes Ltd
The Sisters of St Croix
Summary
A gripping story of love, death and danger in Nazi-occupied France from the best-selling author of The Throwaway Children. When Adelaide Anson-Gravetty finds out her father is not the man who raised her, she is both shocked and intrigued. Determined to find out more about her new family, she travels to the convent of Our Lady of Mercy in France to meet her aunt, the Reverend Mother. But when France falls to the German army, Adelaide and the nuns are soon in the thick of a war that threatens both their beliefs and their lives. Collaborating with the Resistance, sheltering Jewish orphans, defying the rulings of Vichy France: these are dangerous activities in dangerous times. These courageous women must give all they've got in order to protect the innocent from the evil menace of the Nazi war machine. Originally published as Death's Dark Vale.
©2009 Diney Costeloe (P)2009 Soundings Ltd
The Trader's Wife
Summary
Singapore in the 1860s is exotic and yet terrifying for a penniless Englishwoman, alone and vulnerable after her mother's death. Too pretty to obtain a governess' job, Isabella Saunders accepts an offer from Singapore merchant Mr Lee to teach him English and live with his family.
Two years later Bram Deagan arrives in Singapore, determined to make his fortune as a trader. Mr Lee sees a way to expand his business connections and persuades Isabella to marry Bram.
Bravely, she sets sail for a new land and life. But the past casts a long shadow, and together she and Bram face unexpected dangers. Will they find a way to achieve their dreams of a successful trading business?
And will their marriage turn out to be more of a love match than they ever could have dreamed?
©2011 Anna Jacobs (P)2012 Isis Publishing Ltd
The Nurses of St Croix
Summary
From best-selling author Diney Costeloe, a young woman fights to save a treasured war memorial and uncovers a tragic story that reverberates from World War I to the present day. 'This is our secret, pet. You mustn't tell anyone about us planting this tree for Dad. It's our secret.' 1921. In the sleepy village of Charlton Ambrose, eight ash trees stand as a timeless memorial to the men killed in the Great War. On a dark and chilly night, a ninth tree appears. Who planted it and why? And who was 'the unknown soldier' for whom it is marked? 2001. Eighty years later, the memorial is under threat from developers. Local reporter Rachel Elliott is determined to save it and to solve the mystery of the ninth tree. The trail will take her into the dark heart of her own family history, to a great but tragic love and to a secret that has been kept since the war to end all wars. Previously published as The Ashgrove.
©2009 Diney Costeloe (P)2009 Soundings Ltd
The Trader's Gift
Summary
Bram Deagan has a thriving trading business, a growing family - and a gift for matchmaking. His dearest wish is to see his friends Dougal and Mitchell happily married, too. In England, Eleanor Prescott has been widowed and often thinks of Dougal McBride, the ship's captain who was a true friend to her. Does she dare return to Western Australia to find him? Jacinta Blacklea is also a widow, desperate to protect her young son. When she hears of a man in Australia looking for a wife, she determines to grasp Mitchell Nash's invitation with both hands. But the troubles of her old life can't be easily left behind. Both Eleanor and Jacinta bravely set off for Australia. But is it worth taking such a huge risk on the chance of happiness?
©2013 Anna Jacobs (P)2013 Isis Publishing Limited
The Trader's Sister
Summary
Ismay Deagan has one wish in the world - to leave Ireland and join her brother, Bram, in Australia. However, her father has other ideas and orders her to marry their vicious neighbour Rory Flynn, even though she loathes him. But after Rory brutally attacks her, Ismay realises she has to escape. So, disguising herself as an impoverished young widow, she sets sail for Australia, hoping to be reunited with her brother. When she meets Adam Treagar on the ship, she finally starts to believe her dreams of future happiness may come true. But before they even reach their destination they are flung into adventures in Suez, Ceylon and Singapore.... Can Ismay tell Adam the truth about who she really is? What secrets is Adam himself hiding? And will Ismay's past catch up with her and threaten her new life in Australia before it has even begun?
©2012 Anna Jacobs (P)2012 Isis Publishing Limited
The Trader's Dream
Summary
Bram Deagan dreams of bringing his family from Ireland to join him in Australia, where he now runs a successful trading business.
But when a typhus epidemic strikes Ireland, it leaves the Deagan family decimated. And, with other family members scattered round the world, it is left to Maura Deagan to look after her orphaned nieces and nephew.
Forced to abandon her own ambitions, and unsure whether she is ready to become a mother-figure to three young children, Maura recognises that their only hope is to join Bram in far away Australia.
So they set sail on the SS Delta, which will carry them there via the newly opened Suez Canal.
It is only when a storm throws her and fellow passenger Hugh Beaufort together that Maura realises this journey may also give her a chance to pursue a dream she set aside long ago - to have a family of her own. That is, until someone from Hugh's past threatens to jeopardise everything.
©2012 Anna Jacobs (P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Christmas at Thrush Green
Summary
The villagers of Thrush Green celebrate Christmas traditionally, in a way that has hardly changed over the generations. Children eagerly hang up their stockings, families go to church together and everyone enjoys the treats of the festive season. And when it snows as the carol singers make their way round the cottages on the green, it looks as if Christmas will be perfect this year. But not everything is as peaceful as it seems. Phyllida and Frank have their work cut out for them when they agree to take on the Nativity play - made all the more difficult by an outbreak of chickenpox. The indomitable Ella has lived in Thrush Green for as long as anyone can remember, but lately she has been behaving strangely. Then there are the dreadful Burwells, newcomers to Thrush Green, who cause something of a stir with their 'home improvements'. For Nelly, owner of The Fuchsia Bush tea shop, Christmas is an especially busy time, with people dropping in for much-needed refreshment, weary from all their Christmas shopping. But then she receives an unexpected letter.
©2009 Miss Read (P)2017 Audible, Ltd
Lancashire Legacy
Summary
At 18, Cathie longs for more than life as a settler in the Australian bush. So when her uncle offers her the chance to send her to England, she grabs the opportunity with both hands and runs away from her family. But little does she know that he is using her to get revenge on his sister, Liza. Attacked at the docks in Liverpool, Cathie takes refuge with the man who saved her, a man who has his own troubles. But as she slowly regains her memory and meets her Lancashire relatives, she must confront the legacy of her mother's past. And even in 1876, the same wealthy families who forced her mother to leave Lancashire are still powerful enough to threaten Cathie's happiness and safety - as well as that of anyone close to her....
©2001 Anna Jacobs (P)2001 Isis Publishing Ltd
Threepenny Dreams
Summary
The final installment in Anna Jacobs' beloved Irish Sisters series.
Sometimes the worst has to happen....
Recently widowed, Hannah Firth is still young - young enough to dream of a new life. When her spiteful daughter-in-law uses her as an unpaid servant, Hannah tries to leave, but she is unaware of the depths that Patty's spite will lead her to.
Nathaniel King's life is ruined when his landlord's son lays waste to his market garden for a prank - and the resulting feud puts Nathaniel's livelihood at stake.
Hannah has only a few coins and dreams of a happier future to sustain her as she tramps the roads and evades pursuit. When she meets Nathaniel, the attraction between them cannot be denied, and they join forces. But their enemies have money and powerful allies on their side and will stop at nothing to get rid of them....
©2019 Anna Jacobs (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Lancashire Lass
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Liza is happy working as a lady's maid - until her employers decide to emigrate and her father makes up his mind that she is to wed an older widower whom she detests. Determined to avoid a loveless marriage, Liza plans to run away.
But when the widower rapes her to force her to marry him, she flees back to the family for whom she worked. She feels she has no choice but to go with them to Australia, and they all set out on the long voyage.
On board ship, Liza discovers to her horror that she has fallen pregnant. Even if she can survive the journey, the demanding life of a settler in 1850s Western Australia will be made even harder by an illegitimate child.
But Liza is to find that in addition to deprivation of the worst sort, Australia will offer her opportunities she could never have dreamt of back home in Lancashire.
©2000 Anna Jacobs (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Cherry Tree Lane
Summary
For Mattie Willit, caught in a thunderstorm running away from her bullying stepfather, rescue comes in the form of Jacob Kemble, a widowed farmer living with his two young children. She is escaping from an enforced marriage; he, struggling with the memory of a loveless one. As Jacob nurses Mattie back to health, the two come know and love each other. Meanwhile, wealthy and elderly Miss Emily Newington needs their help to save her from her greedy cousin who is plotting to take her house. Together they must all battle the odds, and Mattie’s stepfather, to try and find a happy ending.
©2010 Anna Jacobs (P)2011 Soundings
Calico Road
Summary
The enthralling saga from the author of A Pennyworth of Sunshine and Down Weavers Lane. Calico Road runs through a tiny Lancashire hamlet up on the edge of the moors, miles from anywhere. Its folk are an independent breed - and in 1827 they are a thorn in the side of the vicious mill owner in the valley below. Toby Fletcher's father ignored his bastard son while alive. Now Toby is the new owner of the rambling old inn, an unwitting keeper of its secrets. Then Meg Staley comes to Calico - a woman who was strong enough to survive one tragedy but found it harder to withstand a second blow. Toby finds her wandering the moors, cold and starving, and brings her back to the inn. Working there, Meg starts to rebuild her life and find a fragile happiness. But then the secrets of Calico Road come crashing down on her and those she has grown to love....
©2005 Anna Jacobs (P)2005 Isis Publishing Ltd