Unexpected Blessings, Barbara Taylor Bradford
Unexpected Blessings, Barbara Taylor Bradford
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Unexpected Blessings
A Novel of the Harte Family

Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford

Narrator: Kate Burton

Abridged: 5 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/04/2005

Categories: Fiction, Women


Synopsis

The new blockbuster from one of the world's greatest storytellers delves into the life of Emma Harte--the original Woman of Substance--and the ambitious, passionate, and volatile women of the next generations.

Evan, Tessa, Linnet, and India: four remarkable women. Three generations of Hartes. One indomitable family whose loyalty binds them together and whose enemies want to tear them apart.

Evan Hughes, Emma's American great-granddaughter, is trying to integrate into the powerful Harte family. She is caught between her estranged parents, her new family, and her new love. But a dangerous enemy hovers in the background.

Tessa Longden, Evan's cousin, is battling her husband for custody of their daughter, Adele. When Adele suddenly goes missing, Tessa is forced to seek help from her half-sister Linnet-a woman who has been her rival all their lives.

Linnet, the most brilliant businesswoman of the four great-granddaughters, is desperately trying to show that she is the natural heir to her mother, Paula. But her glittering future at the helm of the vast Harte empire means many sacrifices, perhaps even the loss of her sister's fragile trust.

And India Standish, the traditionalist in the family, falls in love with a famous British artist from a working-class background. Madly in love, India is determined to marry him, no matter what her family thinks.

It is Evan who finds new perspective about her own life from the revelations in letters that Emma wrote to Evan's grandmother decades ago. But they may come too late....

As conflict and danger swirl around the Harte women, someone is pulling the strings to make sure none of them finds happiness. Who among them will rise to the challenges as only a true Harte can do? This latest dramatic story in the ongoing saga of an extraordinary family dynasty is full of love, passion, jealousy, and ambition. It is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her inimitable best.

About Barbara Taylor Bradford

Barbara Taylor Bradford, OBE, is one of the world's best loved storytellers. Her 1979 debut novel, A Woman of Substance, ranks as one of the top-ten bestselling books of all-time, with more than 30 million copies in print. All her novels to date have been major worldwide bestsellers.Barbara was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor. She grew up in the Leeds suburb of Armley and left school at 15 for the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post. At 16 she was a reporter, and at 18 she became the paper’s first woman’s page editor. By the time she was 20, she had moved to London where she became a fashion editor and columnist on Fleet Street. Barbara started writing fiction when she was just seven, and sold her first short story to a magazine for seven shillings and sixpence when she was ten years old.Barbara’s books have sold more than 91 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries and 40 languages. Ten of her books were made into Emmy-nominated miniseries and television movies by her late husband, the film producer Robert Bradford.In 2007, Barbara was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for her contributions to literature. A passionate supporter of literacy, she is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust; in 2019 she was made an ambassador for Women in Journalism and in the same year she was presented with The Leeds Award, which recognised her loyalty to, and depiction of, her Yorkshire roots. Her original manuscripts are archived at the Brotherton Library at Leeds University, alongside the works of the Brontë sisters. She lives in New York City.Her official website is: www.barbarataylorbradford.com

About Kate Burton

Tony-award nominee  Kate Burton has appeared on Broadway in The Constant Wife, The Cherry Orchard, Spring Awakening, Hedda Gabler, and The Grand Manner.  She played the title role in Alice in Wonderland with her father, Richard Burton, on PBS. She was featured on Grey’s Anatomy as the title character’s mother, Ellis Grey and has also appeared in Law & Order, The Practice, The West Wing, and Judging Amy.  Kate earned a bachelor's degree in Russian studies and European history from Brown University in 1979 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Brown University in 2007.  She has narrated numerous audiobooks, including works by Patricia Cornwell, Lisa Scottoline, Iris Johansen, and Barbara Taylor Bradford.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Diane on May 23, 2015

excellent follow-up........more

Goodreads review by Aurian on January 06, 2016

Twenty years ago, I loved Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books. I devoured them. The strong women and the lives they build for themselves. And the saga of Emma Harte was my favourite. How she started out as poor as possible, working as a servant girl at 13, getting seduced and abandoned by the son of the......more

Goodreads review by Sruthi on July 10, 2013

A Woman of Substance and Emma Harte really influenced me. I did not intend to read the others in the series simply because there will not be "True Emma Harte" in those. But somehow I got hold of this book and read through. I found it too much difficult in remembering who is whose son/daughter/cousin......more

Goodreads review by Raquel on April 02, 2020

I love this saga so much. I can’t get enough. I’d have to say this was my second favorite of the series after the first one “A Woman of Substance”. Two more to go!!......more

Goodreads review by Anika on October 16, 2022

Es handelt sich hier um den fünften Teil der Emma Harte Saga. Definitiv muss man die anderen Bücher der Reihe gelesen haben, denn man steigt nahtlos ins Geschehen ein. Unmittelbar am Ende vom vierten Teil. Die Vorkenntnisse sind absolut wichtig. Für mich war es schwer wieder in die Geschichte rein z......more


Quotes

“Bradford gives her readers more of what she does best--strong, savvy female protagonists who relentlessly pursue great destinies, characters much like the author herself…well-written and full of emotion…completely riveting…the plot, while always complex, has suspenseful moments to keep the pace sharp…good reading…Unexpected Blessings clearly shows why Bradford is still the premier writer of family sagas.” —Miami New Times

“The exploits and adventures of Bradford's indomitable heroines continue to make for lusty escapist fiction in this robust fifth novel in the series.” —Publishers Weekly

“The enduring theme of family loyalty ennobles the Harte family saga and raises it to a heartwarming crescendo that longtime fans will appreciate. New readers will relish it as well.” —Book Page

“Bradford enthralls readers.... Once again, readers will get swept up in the lives and loves of the Harte family.” —RT Book Reviews

“I grew up in England with the radio. television hadn't really come to us, So the radio was a great friend. hearing an audiobook is in a sense going back to my childhood and listening. Since I'm writing all the time and using glasses and staring at words on paper, it's nice to close my eyes and just get carried away.... The experience is enhanced by a good voice to listen to.” —Barbara Taylor Bradford on audiobooks

“Kate Burton's pleasing voice and impeccable diction precisely capture the mood, convincing accents, and personalities of the ultra-rich and famous. She handles sibling rivalries and romantic intrigues with finesse.” —AudioFile on Emma's Secret (Abridged)

“The grandiose saga of power, passion, friendship, and haute couture continues the story of Emma Harte, first introduced in A Woman of Substance (1994). Narrator kate Reading deftly uses a variety of British and American accents to represent numerous characters from a variety of economic social strata.” —Booklist on Emma's Secret (Unabridged)

“Readers who loved A Woman of Substance will enjoy Emma's Secret.” —Denver Post on Barbara Taylor Bradford and Emma's Secret

“Promises to tantalize, mesmerize, and titillate readers of all ages. It has all the Bradford touches: strong and swift plot, hints of secrets about to be revealed...spellbinding...destined to fly off bookseller's racks and be passed around many book clubs. It is a darn good read.” —Roanoke Times on Barbara Taylor Bradford and Emma's Secret

“It will be...appreciated by those with an irresistible desire to follow the further adventures of the Harte clan.” —Publishers Weekly on Barbara Taylor Bradford and Emma's Secret

“You're certain these are living, breathing people.” —USA Weekend on Barbara Taylor Bradford and Emma's Secret

“An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death, and passion.” —The New York Times on A Woman of Substance

“Barbara Taylor Bradford is the storyteller of substance.” —The Times (London) on Barbara Taylor Bradford and Emma's Secret