The Secret Countess

By: Eva Ibbotson

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her family is forced to flee to England.

Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid, and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion. The staff and the family are sure there is something not quite right about their new maid - but she soon wins them over with her warmth and dedication.

Then the young Earl returns home from the war - and Anna falls hopelessly in love. But they can never be together - Rupert is engaged to the snobbish and awful Muriel. And anyway, Anna is only a servant. Or so everybody thinks.

Click here to see all the titles in our Whole Story Audio Books collection.©2007 Eva Ibbotson (P)2007 W F Howes

Critic reviews

"An uplifting tale of romance - and Sian Thomas¿s Russian accent is irresistible."( The Observer)

Magical and Enchanting

Davina Porter is by far my favorite narrator and listening to her narrate the poetically written The Secret Countess is a happy experience. The story itself is enchanting and you'll come to love the main character, Anna, who is a displaced Russian countess working as a housemaid in a country manor and has a true love for life. The slow building love between Anna and Rupert is believable and the descriptions of each character, the countryside, and simple things such as a dessert in the shape of a swan weave a web of magic. I could listen to Ms. Porter read this book several times over and never tire of it.

A rare gem

Where does The Secret Countess rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my favourites due to Davina Porter's narration. A nice story which in essence is a light hearted romance piece that is a little cliched and predictable but made outstanding due to the narrators ability to bring the characters to life and give them depth. I read the book some time ago and found the writing style difficult to follow, Eva Ibbotson needs to cull her use of commas! Definitely recommend the audio version over the book and well worth the credit.

Love this book!

I have read this book many times and absolutely love it. However, when listening to the audio version for the first time, some of the characters sounded a little older/different than I had envisioned in my mind. Anna is the stand out one that sounded older than imagined. This led to a slight “eh” feeling on the audible version. With this in mind, I still love this book and will probably be listening to it again as I just love the story :)

Storytelling!!

If you like a simple little story to be entertained, this is a good one. Don't have to think too much about this one, but that's what I like about it. How can you not like Anna?! and Muriel is soooo offensive! The whole eugenics thing brings in such a twist! Davina Porter definiatly makes this book shine! I thought this might be trashy, and i was hoping, but it wasn't and really i didn't mind! This is one of the better examples of storytelling i've come across. If you like davina porter try the outlander series!!

Heartwarming

A sweet, timeless, whimsical romance written in beautiful linguistic detail. The colorful descriptions of Russia and England are brought to life by both writer and narrator. The characters are deep and lovable.

Wonderful listening.

I bought this because of Davinia Porter. She brings this story which would be 3 stars up to 5 stars. When an author chooses the right narrator they are really being very savvy. It was a sweet story and I liked it. This one I will actually enjoy listening to again.

Predictable

You can forecast how this will end, but it's sweet and I still loved hearing how it unfolds. Love Davina Porter!!!

Predictable, Lighthearted Fun

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were looking for a light-hearted easy listen.

What three words best describe Davina Porter’s voice?

The narration, like the story, is fun, easy to listen to and inoffensive. Well matched.

Charming and Beautiful!

"The Secret Countess" is a classic for both young and old.

You'll love Anna, a Russian refugee who flees to England with her mother and brother after the Revolution, and the death of her father. Although forced to take up a job as a housemaid to help support her family, her joy for life and living is contagious and touches all those around her. Anna perfects the saying, "If life hands you lemons, make lemonade".

The secondary characters are so well portrayed you'll feel as though you know each and every one of them. You'll smile at the antics of Baskaville, Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme's, English Mastiff and laugh at the humorous ruse designed by Mr. Proom near the end of the book.

"The Secret Countess" stirs a range of emotions--joy, sadness, anger, humor....credited to the great performing talent of Davina Porter.

I recommend it for anyone wanting wholesome entertainment.

Simply delightful

What made the experience of listening to The Secret Countess the most enjoyable?

Great choice of narrator for this novel. I loved the range of voices she used to depict the various characters. Although I have little knowledge of French and no experience with Russian, I was able to understand the context of the words because of the narrator.

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

The narrator brought life to the characters through her various accents and pronunciation of French and Russian words.

Who was the most memorable character of The Secret Countess and why?

The most memorable character would have to be Anna. She was born into a world of wealth and privilege but remained humble.