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The Valley
- The Valley Trilogy, Book 1
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Series: The Valley Trilogy, Book 1
- Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Publisher's Summary
Left suddenly penniless, the Honorable Sophia Grafton, a viscount's orphaned daughter, sails to the New World to claim the only property left to her name: a tobacco plantation in the remote wilds of colonial Virginia. Enlisting the reluctant assistance of a handsome young French spy - at gunpoint - she gathers an unlikely group of escaped slaves and indentured servants, each seeking their own safe haven in the untamed New World.
What follows will test her courage and that of her companions as they struggle to survive a journey deep into a hostile wilderness and eventually forge a community of homesteads and deep bonds that will unite them for generations.
The first installment in an epic historical trilogy by Helen Bryan, the bestselling author of War Brides and The Sisterhood, The Valley is a sweeping, unforgettable tale of hardship, tenacity, love, and heartache.
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What listeners say about The Valley
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- HL
- 08-29-16
My Favorite Author
Helen Bryan did it again! I love her ability to tell a story with so much realism and clarity that I feel like I'm there with the settlers. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as I have enjoyed her others. I love how she adds so much fine detail that I really get an understanding of how life was in that period. My only complaint was that I yearned for a more elaborate story between Henri and Sophia. What was their everyday relationship like? Were they always just cordial or did the passion grow? The story also really speeds up in the last 1/4 of the novel so that begin to feel a drastic disconnect between all of the book's characters. I know she's transitioning us to part 2 but I almost felt like I was reading a completely different novel in the end. Still, a very good story and told by an excellent narrator who for once didn't annoy me.
13 people found this helpful
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- Melinda
- 04-21-17
Whew! Finally done!
I'm not one to start a book, even if I'm not enjoying it, and not finish it. I was tempted this time! I wanted to love it! Disjointed storylines, never feeling like they came to a completion and added too many characters. Interesting at times but way too long of descriptions of people and events at other times. Although, Kate Reading always does a great job narrating, she's probably the only reason why I continued listening to this very lengthy book. I'm not continuing the triology, one was enough!
8 people found this helpful
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- Cedric H.
- 08-28-16
Wonderful book with enchanting characters
This work of fiction that chronicled generations of varying types of people was an excellent read. The narrator have a stellar performance, bringing each character to life and even aging the voices of the characters as the book progressed. Highly reconvened for any reader like myself who enjoys historical fiction.
8 people found this helpful
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- rfb130
- 05-08-17
Very long and drawn out
Any additional comments?
This book started with what seemed to be the main character but by many chapters later there were so many added characters it became hard to keep up. Just too much for one book. Would be so much better if it were a series that moved through the years focusing on one person, family or generation at a time.
3 people found this helpful
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- Kat
- 02-23-18
No focus! Very slow and painful!!!
The beginning if the book leads you to believe it will be about Sophie and her family then she dies. the story then follows a different family's members and jumps big gaps of time with no rhyme or reason!
2 people found this helpful
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- Crystalew
- 04-30-17
So very disappointing.
There was so much character build up in the beginning that just went no where. The book just totally lost it flow. There were too many characters to follow and it just got confusing and made me lose interest. The first 2 parts all seemed long and drawn out but pretty interesting. The second half just kept adding more people but never really building a emotional connection. During the first half I thought I was really going to get to know these characters and was kind of looking forward to the next book. Now that I'm done I don't really care who or what comes next the tie end has completely been lost.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-15-17
Fell Flat
Not sure why this was recommended under "Romance", since it was more Historical Fiction. The book description was more interesting than the book itself. It started with a main character, and then dragged on and on and on....zzzzz.... with no real focus. Though rich in detail, I did not end up drawing any emotional connection with any of the characters, nor did the characters draw any emotional connection with each other, and there were many characters, with many plot lines that tied to nothing specifically and fizzled into nothing in particular. I felt like a fly on the wall, flying from one place to the next, and picking up conversations that seemed out of context. I patiently made it to chapter 41, then skipped to the end and realized I missed nothing worth noting. I had no desire to find out what happened between those chapters. Will not be continuing to the rest of the series.
1 person found this helpful
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- Tammy
- 04-14-17
was ok
The story was awesome until 3/4 through it. then it just went on and on. when the main 2 people in book died then the book did not make any sense. the ending was stupid 🤔
1 person found this helpful
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- Catherine
- 11-29-16
Well written but a sad tale.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
No, I feel this book is too much of a downer to recommend.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
The era it's set is interesting, however, the storyline is pretty depressing from start to finish.
Which character – as performed by Kate Reading – was your favorite?
She did a good job on all the characters.
Do you think The Valley needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
I can't see it getting lighter but who am I to say that others wouldn't have enjoyed the book and will want to see a follow-up. However, I don't see myself looking for one.
Any additional comments?
The book is well written but it's just not my cup of tea.
4 people found this helpful
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- Ana Saavedra
- 06-22-21
Just awful.
This is possibly the worst book I have ever read. It had such a promising start with rich character development and interesting but believable plot twists. About mid-book, the characters started to feel like one- dimensional paper dolls. Then suddenly, they are all abandoned and replaced with disjointed stories about new characters we have not been properly introduced to, know nothing about and don't care about. In all the world, I have seldom seen such a literary mess!
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- Siobhan Taylor
- 02-23-21
Disappointed
This book made a promising start, but then became more and more disappointing as it went on. It jumped years, introducing groups of new characters as if the reader had already become acquainted with them. I kept thinking that I’d missed a chapter, but no, the writer had just thrown a few new characters in! It spoiled the flow and the credibility of the story. Even the main character’s death felt like an afterthought. This all made it a laborious read from around the 1/2 way point.
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- lorinda crawford
- 02-01-21
Long tedious and boring
Started interesting but just went on and on and on and on.... I can’t bare the thought of listening to the second and third books to this series.
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- Jocelyn
- 07-06-17
A Good Listen
I wasn't blown out of the water by this story, the writing feels a little stilted at some points, but I enjoyed it. An interesting plot line of twists and turns (some a little predictable). The ending was strange, I feel like she could have done without the last few chapters.