I, Coriander

By: Sally Gardner

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Coriander Hobie, born in 1643, has a remarkable tale to tell, the tale of a childhood touched by unexplained bits of wonder, but too soon marked by tragedy. After her beloved mother dies and her father is forced to flee London, Coriander is left at the mercy of a stepmother full of cruelty. In the very nick of time, Coriander finds that she has somehow managed to transport herself to a land of fairies, and there she discovers what she has always suspected: that her mother was from a more magical world than grimy old London. And that she herself has inherited some of her mother's mysterious abilities, abilities that she now has a desperate need to master.

Be prepared to be swept away by atmospheric writing that casts a lasting spell. Sally Gardner's prose is exquisitely beautiful and her story and characters enthralling. She has written a rare and glorious book.

©2005 Sally Gardner (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"Readers who love romantic fairy tales will delight....Fans of historical fiction, in turn, will enjoy ornate descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of 17th-century London." (School Library Journal)

More main story please

Though overall I enjoyed the book I could have done without the trip into fairyland. It was like mixing Girl with the Pearl Earring with the Wizard of Oz. The villains aren't as bad as some others have made them seem. To be sure they are bad, but if you know anything about the history of the 17th century they aren't anything that can't be documented. It did help listening to the author's interview at the end of the book to explain why the fantasy part was in there. I was thankful though, after hearing her say that the fantasy section was originally longer, that she dropped it from the book. The ending was also very abrupt. I would listen to the author's new work as well, but am hoping to stay put in reality this time, so to speak.

Wonderful tale read by the best!

Juliet Stevenson is an absolutely marvelous narrator and storyteller. She brings magic to everything she reads.

Long lost favorite

I first read this book when I was 10 years old. I loved it so much then that I would sneak out of my schools library with it. (We could only check out the same book so many times as to not have students hog it to themselves, which is exactly what I did). Listening to this book again took me right back into that magical world! I am 23 now and I, Coriander is just as captivating and exciting as it was when I was a child. Very few books stand up to rereading, but this is one that only gets better each time.

What a fantastic Tale!

This is a wonderful fairy tale for any age, the baddies are really bad, the good guys are really good and the right side wins in the end...classic. Please Sally Gardener, more of this! Being that Juliet Stevenson is one of Britain's most talented actresses I knew that she would be an amazing narrator, she did not disappoint. She made every character sound very different and gave them a vibrant life of their own, I only wish she narrated more books.

So So Fantasy

Fantasy was so so yet the worst part is the reader. While a very talented reader, her voice is often hard to hear because of her voice is naturally low. When she wispers, as she sometimes does to interpret the writing, then I couldn't make out anything. I would not recommend the reader for this reason and I feel it weakens the book considerably.

amazing story, annoying voice

i've read the book 10 years ago and it was so magical. i was happy when i found it on audible, but the voice sounds really annoying to me,,, i wish she would have read it normally and without all those ridiculous accents, it also felt like she really rushed through it? not at all the calm and magical story i was expecting,,, but then again, i'm probably just too picky

Really good

I enjoyed the book very much. The baddies ARE really bad--it's a fairy tale. Juliet Stevenson is great, as usual. It's a good "empowerment" book for young girls, I think. Coriander is definitely ahead of her time as an educated, independent female in the 1600's. It's quite an entertaining read. Maybe not for young kids; there is some real "evil stepmother" type mistreatment that could be disconcerting. But, then, Grimm's and most other fairy tales are the same.

Good for Teens

This book is very nice once you get past the narrator. The story is very interesting and one that my teen daughters liked. I however couldn't get that into it because the narrator's voice.

Wonderful

I really enjoyed this story. It's well read and well written. Coriander is a fabulous character. I was very entertained and looked forward to my commute (where I listen to all of my audio books).

A hard life for a child

Someone said the "baddies are really bad." I realize I get bored with that and want a more realistic mixture. The cruel characters are off-the-charts cruel.