Virginia Leishman has narrated 15 audiobooks on Listento.it by 9 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.7★ across 32 ratings. The most-rated is The Railway Children.
The Railway Children
Summary
Father has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Now Mother has moved Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis from London to an old English country house. Missing the hustle and bustle of the city, the children are ecstatic to find that their new home is near a railway station. Making friends with both the porter and the station master is great fun. So is waving to a kindly old gentleman who rides through on the 9:15 every morning. When mother gets sick, it is he to whom they turn for help. And later, when a fortunate twist of fate returns their father to them, they are surprised to find the old gentleman involved once again. Written by an unconventional woman whose friends included H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw, this classic has been popular since it was first published almost 100 years ago. Virginia Leishman’s enthusiasm translates these adventuresome children into heroes for modern listeners.
Public Domain (P)1999 Recorded Books
Enchantress of Numbers
Summary
New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the fascinating life of Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace - Lord Byron's daughter, the world's first computer programmer, and a woman whose exceptional contributions to science and technology have been too long unsung. The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada's father, who was infamously "mad, bad, and dangerous to know", Ada's mathematician mother is determined to save her only child from her perilous Byron heritage. Banishing fairy tales and make-believe from the nursery, Ada's mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education grounded in mathematics and science. Any troubling spark of imagination - or, worse yet, passion or poetry - is promptly extinguished. Or so her mother believes. When Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress, she at last discovers the intellectual and social circles she has craved all her life. Little does she realize that her delightful new friendship with inventor Charles Babbage - brilliant, charming, and occasionally curmudgeonly - will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, the Difference Engine, and enthralled by the plans for his even more advanced Analytical Engine, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world. All the while, she passionately studies mathematics - ignoring skeptics who consider it an unusual, even unhealthy pursuit for a woman - falls in love, discovers the shocking secrets behind her parents' estrangement, and comes to terms with the unquenchable fire of her imagination. In Enchantress of Numbers, New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini unveils the passions, dreams, and insatiable thirst for knowledge of a largely unheralded pioneer in computing - a young woman who stepped out of her father's shadow to achieve her own laurels and champion the new technology that would shape the future.
©2017 Jennifer Chiaverini (P)2017 Recorded Books
The Rescue
Summary
Acclaimed author Lori Wick is one of the best-selling Christian fiction authors in the world, with more than two and a half million copies of her books in print, including The Proposal. When Anne Gardiner slips off a ladder, she falls—quite literally—into the arms of a handsome stranger named Robert Weston. Anne’s father decides the couple must marry immediately, but Robert isn’t entirely fond of that plan. The Rescue is a moving story that shows how God’s love can touch each person in a unique way.
©2002 Lori Wick (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC
The Visitor
Summary
Acclaimed author Lori Wick has penned more than two dozen books, which regularly top Christian best-seller lists. More than three and a half million copies of her books are in print. In The Visitor, Alexander Tate temporarily loses his eyesight when thrown from his horse. Cared for by the charming Steele sisters, he grows especially fond of Cassandra, who reads to him each day. But Cassandra fears that Alexander will not love her when he regains his sight. Only by trusting God’s plan can the pair find happiness.
©2003 Lori Wick (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC
The Proposal
Summary
Acclaimed, best-selling author Lori Wick’s The Proposal is a moving tale of Christ’s love at work in early 19th-century London. William Jennings is not married and likes it that way. But when a relative passes away, he is suddenly guardian of three young children. This unexpected development provides him a male heir without the bother of a wife, yet the children quickly become more than he can handle. Finding help from a truly remarkable woman, he learns to see the world in a completely different light.
©2002 Lori Wick (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC
Delicious
Summary
Famous in Paris, infamous in London, Verity Durant is as well-known for her mouthwatering cuisine as for her scandalous love life. But that's the least of the surprises awaiting her new employer when he arrives at the estate of Fairleigh Park following the unexpected death of his brother. To rising political star Stuart Somerset, Verity Durant is just a name and food is just food, until her first dish touches his lips. Only one other time had he felt such pure arousal - a dangerous night of passion with a stranger, who disappeared at dawn. Ten years is a long time to wait for the main course, but when Verity Durant arrives at his table, there's only one thing that will satisfy Stuart's appetite for more. But is his hunger for lust, revenge - or that rarest of delicacies, love? For Verity's past has a secret that could devour them both even as they reach for the most delicious fruit of all....
©2008 Sherry Thomas (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC
The Pursuit
Summary
With more than four million books in print, Lori Wick is one of the best-selling inspirational authors in the world. The Pursuit is the richly satisfying final chapter of her beloved English Garden series. Edward Steele is returning to England from Africa when he meets a man named Denley. When Denley becomes ill, Edward agrees to stay with him. But God works in mysterious ways, and befriending Denley places Edward in the path of a woman who changes his life.
©2003 Lori Wick (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC
On the Night of the Seventh Moon
Summary
Best-selling author Victoria Holt spins breath-taking tales glimmering with danger and romance. In this entrancing novel, set in late 1800s Europe, a beautiful English schoolgirl participates in an ancient celebration, only to discover she no longer knows the difference between truth and myth. As shadows lengthen, 17-year-old Helena Trant and her classmates must finish their picnic in the Black Forest. Tonight young men will be out to honor Loke, the god of mischief, with drinking and pranks - no woman will be safe. As Helena walks through the misty woods, she loses her friends, but her fear turns to joy when a broad-shouldered man on a horse rescues her. The bewitching time she spends dining and dancing with him seems a thrilling dream - until that fateful night alters her life forever - blurring the borders between reality and dreams. One of the world’s most popular authors, Victoria Holt skillfully weaves intrigue, suspense, and rapture into impetuous Helena’s exploits. Virginia Leishman’s spellbinding narration will leave you alternately holding your breath with anticipation or sighing with bliss.
©1972 Victoria Holt (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC
Private Arrangements
Summary
The highly regarded debut novel from Sherry Thomas, Private Arrangements was also a Publishers Weekly 2008 Best Book. When Lady Tremaine petitions her husband for an end to their civil but loveless marriage, Lord Camden agrees on one scandalous condition - she must give him an heir within a year. Their early attempts to fulfill this delicate arrangement are marred by cold detachment, but soon sparks of passion and long-forgotten lust begin to be kindled anew.
©2008 Sherry Thomas (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC
Five Children and It
Summary
On a summer holiday in the countryside of England, five children suddenly find themselves without the supervision of their parents. Left alone with the housekeeper, the children anticipate a dull vacation. However, they soon find more adventure than they can handle. The first day after their parents leave, the children head for a gravel pit to pretend that they are at the beach. While digging in the sand they find a Psammead, or a sand fairy. The grumpy genie promises to grant the children one wish a day that will last until sunset. But as often happens with wishes, none turn out quite the way the children expect. They are led through a series of hilarious adventures by the Psammead as they learn to appreciate what they already have. Edith Nesbit was one of the first authors to write children’s books that captured what it was like to be young. Her humorous stories are sure to entertain as they gently teach children about the things in life that are truly valuable.
Public Domain (P)2000 Recorded Books
The Great Fire
Summary
National Book Award, Fiction, 2003This mesmerizing, poetic novel has earned universal acclaim. Set against the beautiful but tragic landscape of post-World War II Asia, The Great Fire tells a sweeping tale of the search for new beginnings in a world ravaged by tragedy. Thirty-two-year-old war hero Aldred Leith is in Japan to survey the Hiroshima devastation. His close friend and fellow veteran Peter Exley prosecutes Japanese war criminals in Hong Kong. Striving to rebuild lives shattered by war, both men reach critical turning points. Leith falls in love with a precocious and charming 17-year-old girl, while Exley faces a decision that will forever alter his path. Author Shirley Hazzard's first novel in more than 20 years, The Great Fire is an elegant and beautifully crafted story that resonates long past the final word.
©2003 by Shirley Hazzard (P)2004 by Recorded Books, LLC
The Shadow of the Lynx
Summary
Best-selling author Victoria Holt is universally popular for her breathtaking works of romance and fiction. Filled with strong-willed characters and set in exotic historical eras, each of her books spins an unforgettable tale. The Shadow of the Lynx follows beautiful young Nora Tamasin as she leaves her home in Victorian England. Recently orphaned, she sails toward the untamed lands of gold-rush Australia. Her journey will take her to the Lynx: the man her father designated as her guardian before he died. Rich, powerful, and commanding, the Lynx is a man who can safeguard her finances, but cannot control her heart. More than 56 million of Victoria Holt’s books have been sold worldwide. She also writes under the pen names of Jean Plaidy and Philippa Carr. Through the lyrical voice of narrator Virginia Leishman, The Shadow of the Lynx richly captures all the nuances of a family’s tempestuous passion and thirst for power.
©1971 Victoria Holt (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC
The Creation of Eve
Summary
From acclaimed historical novelist Lynn Cullen comes a lush and compelling tale of intrigue and longing, set in the 16th-century Spanish court. After a scandal ends her apprenticeship with Michelangelo in 1559, artist Sofonisba Anguissola accepts an invitation from King Felipe II to become lady-in-waiting and painting teacher to his teenage bride Elisabeth. And though Sofi’s developing affair may be risky, Elisabeth’s dalliance with the king’s brother, Don Juan, could be deadly.
©2010 Lynn Cullen (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC
The Moorchild
Summary
Moql's mother is Folk, one of those tiny fairies who live hidden from mere mortals, and her father is human. Young patrons will empathize as this tiny changeling experiences the fear, sadness, and danger of not belonging. Set against the backdrop of a charming medieval setting, this award-winning audiobook addresses problems that are still, sadly, quite contemporary.
©1996 Eloise McGraw (P)1998 Recorded Books
Glimpses of Truth
Summary
For peasant intellectual Thomas Torr, translating the Latin Vulgate into English with the illustrious John Wycliffe is a way to bring God’s word to all people. But the Roman Church has pronounced a death sentence on anyone possessing an English Bible, and Thomas soon faces a baptism of fire that threatens his very existence. From a simple British village to the elaborate Roman catacombs, Thomas confronts incredible adventure and shattering betrayal as he struggles to heed God’s call for him. A vivid depiction of church history, Glimpses of Truth is filled with strong characters and thrilling intrigue. Virginia Leishman’s splendid narration captures the heartfelt convictions of people striving to illuminate God’s glory.
©1999 Jack Cavanaugh (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC