The Admiral's Baths

By: Dana Gynther

Narrated by: Dana Gynther

Tucked at the end of a narrow, crooked street in the Mediterranean city of Valencia, you may be surprised to come upon an ancient public bathhouse, a surprising relic from another time. The Admiral's Baths have stood sentry here for 700 years, through wars, reconstruction, epidemics, and the Inquisition - and still stand today. If only these walls could talk, you might think. What stories lie beneath those star-carved ceilings, across these tiled floors....

With this novel The Admiral's Baths, author Dana Gynther offers us one possibility. Told from the perspective of four women of different times and circumstances, we witness the unfolding history of the ancient bathhouse through the struggles, desires, tragedies, and triumphs of Fatima, Angels, Clara, and Rachel. Though these characters are separated by hundreds of years, we find that what connects them is more powerful than the passage of time, and we celebrate the enduring human spirit, which stands strong like the Admiral's Baths themselves.

©2017 Dana Gynther (P)2017 Dana Gynther

Critic reviews

"With captivating prose and vibrant detail, Dana Gynther captures the rich history of Valencia through the eyes of four determined women, separated by centuries, but united by the extraordinary Admiral's Baths." (Jessica Brockmole, internationally best-selling author of Letters from Skye)

"Rich with fascinating history, Gynther brings the past and present of Valencia, Spain, and the Admiral's Baths to vibrant life. I reveled in reading about these fascinating locations and all of the colorful characters who strolled down Valencia's sun-drenched streets and steeped in the bath's steam-filled rooms." (Anna Lee Huber, best-selling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries)

History intertwined

Rich character development and wonderful delivery on audio. A literary journey touching on the history of the baths in Valencia through eyes and lives of compelling, unforgettable characters.

Take a trip through space and time

It's rare to find a book that is so vivid, that it not only paints images in your brain, but conjures up memories you are convinced you had. I never was in Alabama during the tornadoes that decimated Tuscaloosa, but now maybe I think I was. I was never in Spain, especially not hundreds of years ago-- or at a potters wheel or a bakery or a bath house there, but now maybe I think I was. Time and space travel with The Admiral's Baths. Learn about and visit new places such that after the trip, you will know you were there. Dana Gynther is the perfect tour guide and painter of mental images. I love historical fiction. Wait, was that fiction?

Intriguing History of a Spanish Bathhouse

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would. The Admiral’s Bath is an engaging book that transports the reader back in history through the lives of four women and their connection to The Admiral’s Bath, which is a bathhouse in Valencia, Spain. Each woman’s story is fascinating and focuses on different points in the history of the bathhouse.

What did you like best about this story?

The lives of the characters within their different time periods and the challenges they dealt with.

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

It’s always nice to hear the author narrate their book. Ms. Gynther does a fine job of narration and brings rich emotions that I don't think you would get with someone who wasn't so close to the story.

If you could take any character from The Admiral's Baths out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Fatima. I liked her courage.

Any additional comments?

A highly recommended read! I hope to see the real bathhouse one day.

Fascinating historic fiction

This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. Now I must go research the Baths for myself.

From tornadoes in Alabama to the Plague in Spain

Unique and engaging journey through history, this compelling novel creates rich characters who struggle with illness, disaster and loss in real, relatable ways.

Brilliant author with a clear voice!

Dana Gynther is not only a brilliant author -- creating four distinct worlds in four different centuries and historical eras that have a common connection -- but she has a pleasant and clear voice which enables the listener to enjoy the telling of this elaborate tale. I hope to see more from this author soon!