Green Darkness

By: Anya Seton

Narrated by: Heather Wilds

Green Darkness is the story of a great love, a love in which mysticism, suspense, and mystery form a web of good and evil forces that stretches from Tudor England to the England of the 20th century. The marriage of the Englishman Richard Marsdon and his young American wife, Celia, slowly turns tragic as Richard withdraws into himself and Celia suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown.

A wise mystic realizes that Celia can escape her past only by reliving it. She journeys back 400 years to her former life as the servant girl Celia de Bohun during the reign of Edward VI - and to her doomed love affair with the chaplain Stephen Marsdon. Although Celia and Stephen can't escape the horrifying consequences of their love, fate (and time) offer them another chance for redemption.

©1972 Anya Seton Chase (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Anya Seton has a knack of vividly painting the glory, cruelty, passion, and prejudice of long-ago days." ( Hartford Courant)

Reread it every couple of years

I owned a paperback copy of this book since I was in high school (a long, long time ago). I loved it so much that I would reread it every couple of years until it literally fell apart. The story of a priest falling in love is poignant and heartbreaking. Their deaths are tragic, 200 years later their love culminates in the lives of 2 young people who do not understand how the past can influence the present and future.

One of my favorites!

Would you consider the audio edition of Green Darkness to be better than the print version?

I've re-read this book many, many times but this was the first time I listened to it on Audible and I loved the reader/performer's accents and pronounciation. In many ways I prefer the audio version because it's so easy to get lost in the story when you don't have to wonder how to pronounce places and things.

What does Heather Wilds bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Heather Wilds did a wonderful job - she brought an old favorite back to life for me.

My absolute favorite book

This book hastens you in right from the beginning. It is historical romance but of a superior quality. It has all the ingredients of the occult, but so perfectly done. It's about a forbidden love affair and the ultimate horror caused by it. It explores reincarnation, astrology, witchcraft and jealousy, that severe emotion. I read this book 3 times since it came out in 1973. I loved the original book cover, a monk and a young woman in the green darkness of the woods. But the woods do not protect them. Kathleen Collins

Narrator ruined this for me

I love Anya Seton's books and I think this one was good and well written. The narrator completely ruined the experience for me and made it hard to listen to. I believe if this were to be re-recorded with a better narrator ( possibly Corrie James who read The Wintrop Woman) it would be a great success. I did not finish listening to the book and moved on.

Love Anya Seton!

Have read this multiple times thru the years. A mix of historical fiction and reincarnation. I always enjoy it

Absolutely LOVE this book!

I read this book when it first came out in the seventies and wanted to see if it withstood the test of time, I’m thrilled to day it did! I’ve read other books by this author but this continues to be my favorite. It’s one of the few books I’ve re-read and it just keeps my interest, it’s just that good.
The strong love felt by Celia and Steven in the fifteenth hundreds left such mark in their souls that they’re forced to repeat it in this lifetime, would they have a different result?

A great story - Great for Outlander fans

One of my all time favorites. It has history, romance and paranormal all wrapped up in a huge, engrossing story. I first read the novel in the 70s. I wasn't sure from the sample if the narrator would do it justice, but I'm glad I went ahead and used my credit.

A beautiful story

This was a plot unexpected. One of love lost and trust gained. The author did an outstanding job of making a difficult topic a wonderful experience and the narrator didn't drop the ball by having a good voice that didn't falter. Cannot wait for the next book.

Green Darkness.....Love story of a life time !

I read this novel when I was in my 30's and it became my favorite love story. I am now 76 and it was wonderful meeting Steven and Celia all over again. In my life time I have read many,many books..fact and fiction and all type of janra.
Having listened to GREEN DARKNESS has been a complete joy . I would recommend this audio book to everyone who loves a wonderful love story mixed with history. This is definitely a 4 star presentation.

Good Narration

It was a bit different than when I read it some time ago.
I did love Heather Wilds performance and will look for other narrations by her. She did each character very well and her even toned descriptions were very easy to listen to.