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The Essex Serpent
- Author
- Sarah Perry
- Narrator
- Juanita McMahon
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date
- 6 January 2022
- Run Time
- 14 hours 45 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Historical fiction
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
Overall Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2017 (Nibbies)
Longlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
The Waterstones Book of the Year 2016
Shortlisted for the 2016 Costa Novel Award
London, 1893. When Cora Seaborne's controlling husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness. Along with her son Francis - a curious, obsessive boy - she leaves town for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge.
On arrival, rumours reach them that the mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming lives, has returned to the coastal parish of Aldwinter. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for superstition, is enthralled, convinced that what the local people think is a magical beast may be a yet-undiscovered species. As she sets out on its trail, she is introduced to William Ransome, Aldwinter's vicar, who is also deeply suspicious of the rumours, but thinks they are a distraction from true faith.
As he tries to calm his parishioners, Will and Cora strike up an intense relationship, and although they agree on absolutely nothing, they find themselves at once drawn together and torn apart, affecting each other in ways
that surprise them both.
The Essex Serpent is a celebration of love, and the many different shapes it can take.
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 4.0
-
5.0 4.0
I loved listening to this. I find a great pleasure in reading about watery landscapes. Well plotted, emotionally complex. The reader is good, but I'm not sure of the Essex accent and some pronunciation. However, I was carried along by the possibilities of the story.
GinaJ 2026-08-25
Details
- Author
- Sarah Perry
- Narrator
- Juanita McMahon
- Duration
- 14 hours 45 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 January 2022
- ISBN
- 9781782839859
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Genre
- Historical fiction
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 4.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Now an Apple TV series starring Claire Danes and Tom HiddlestonTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLEROverall Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2017 (Nibbies)Longlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women's Prize for FictionThe Waterstones Book of the Year 2016Shortlisted for the 2016 Costa Novel AwardLondon, 1893. When Cora Seaborne's controlling husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness. Along with her son Francis - a curious, obsessive boy - she leaves town for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge.On arrival, rumours reach them that the mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming lives, has returned to the coastal parish of Aldwinter. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for superstition, is enthralled, convinced that what the local people think is a magical beast may be a yet-undiscovered species. As she sets out on its trail, she is introduced to William Ransome, Aldwinter's vicar, who is also deeply suspicious of the rumours, but thinks they are a distraction from true faith.As he tries to calm his parishioners, Will and Cora strike up an intense relationship, and although they agree on absolutely nothing, they find themselves at once drawn together and torn apart, affecting each other in waysthat surprise them both.The Essex Serpent is a celebration of love, and the many different shapes it can take.
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