The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
24 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Thirteenth Tale

Abridged: 7 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/12/2006


Synopsis

Winner of the 2007 Audie Award for Literary Fiction and Finalist for Multi-Voiced Performance

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller

“Readers will feel the magnetic pull of this paean to words, books and the magical power of story.”—People

“Eerie and fascinating.”—USA TODAY

Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by PATRICIA on 2015-02-26 12:44:50

Creepy , but lacking in plot for my taste. About a third of the way through, I got impatient to finish and find out if anything interesting would happen. Not a good sign.

AudiobooksNow review by Danielle on 2007-08-28 12:55:45

This story starts out somewhat slowly....but if you can hang on till it gets interesting it's hard to stop listening. Setterfield paints some beautiful and terrible pictures for her reader/listener, and I enjoyed the twist at the end.

AudiobooksNow review by Sharon on 2008-04-12 09:14:45

A really good story, well written and an ending that brings it all together. I really enjoyed this book.

AudiobooksNow review by Morton on 2008-07-13 01:14:43

This is a gothic novel in the best sense a horrific tale told in mannered, finely wrought prose. It is among other things a paean to story telling wrapped in an ever surprising story. Anyonr who loves a good story should give it a try.

AudiobooksNow review by Tanisha on 2008-09-02 13:51:39

The story of Vida Winters reminded me of the earlier books by VC Andrews that I couldn't help but be drawn into this story. The ending was a surprise that wrapped up nicely.