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The Enchanted April

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

A recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of sunshine, wisteria, and solitude as needed

Four very diverse women, all seeking revitalization from the dreary February rains of 1920s London, rent the small medieval castle of San Salvatore, nestled high above the bay of Portofino, Italy. Arriving at San Salvatore, they find it awash with the scent of flowers, its olive groves terracing down to the sun-warmed sea.

Each has her reasons for desiring escape. Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot are glad to leave behind their insipid duties and unresponsive husbands. The elderly Mrs. Fisher wishes only to sit in the sun and replay her youthful memories, and the bewitchingly beautiful Lady Caroline Dester desires to have seclusion from all her adoring suitors.

Amid the canopies of fragrant wisteria, in the sweet sunshine and melodious silence, fate has some surprises in store for all of them.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This excellent audio production comes right on the heels of the successful British film. Four women share an Italian castle for a month, an experience which changes all their lives. It's a somewhat old-fashioned story, but sweetly so, as was the movie. Nadia May's narration is excellent, especially in differentiating the women's voices and in reading their inner dialogues, which go on throughout. May's rendition of the mostly middle and upper-class English voices is exceedingly well done. This performance is easy to listen to, and this recording is well worth having. E.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 1, 1988
      Four Englishwomen vacation together at an Italian castle in von Arnim's novel, a film version of which is now a popular art-house attraction.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      There are places of refuge, but only one place of salvation, such as the castle, San Salvatore, high above the bay on the Italian Riviera. Four ladies abandon the dismal British weather to luxuriate in the Italian sun for the month of April. Lottie Wilkins speaks with a high, breathy, fast, nervous voice. Mrs. Arbuthnot's voice is smoother, softer, slower. Mrs. Fisher sounds sixty-five years tired while Lady Caroline has the soft, silky tones of youth. The men's voices are neither as distinct nor as beguiling as the women's. Familiar with the text from her television role as Mrs. Wilkins, Lawrence provides a refreshing listening experience. M.G.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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