The Head of the House of Coombe
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
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While renowned for her beloved children's literature, Frances Hodgson Burnett's talent extended to historical novels. Originally serialized in 1920 in Scribner's Monthly, 'The Head of the House of Coombe' was met with immense popularity, leading to its full publication in 1922 in two volumes, as it distinctly deals with two epochs. The first, The Head of the House of Coombe, deals with social life in London during the evolutionary period between the late Victorian years and the reign of Edward VII and that of his successor, previous to the Great War. It brings Lord Coombe and Donal, Feather and her girl Robin to the summer of 1914. It ends with the ending of a world which can never again be the same. The second novel, Robin, to be published later continues the story of the same characters, facing existence, however, in a world transformed by tragedy, and in which new aspects of character, new social, economic, and spiritual possibilities are to be confronted, rising to the surface of life as from the depths of unknown seas. Readers of The Head of the House of Coombe will follow the story of Robin with intensified interest. (Summary by Rapunzelina, plus Publisher's Note) (11 hr 20 min)
Chapters
Chapter I | 19:28 | Read by Noreen |
Chapter II | 27:32 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter III | 14:45 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter IV | 22:35 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter V | 12:59 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter VI | 25:40 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter VII | 28:27 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter VIII | 21:05 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter IX | 24:59 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter X | 21:46 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter XI | 26:20 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XII | 16:16 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XIII | 16:43 | Read by acousticwave |
Chapter XIV | 17:54 | Read by Victoria Scrimer |
Chapter XV | 26:32 | Read by Belinda McReynolds |
Chapter XVI | 18:58 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XVII | 32:56 | Read by James Oligney |
Chapter XVIII | 18:12 | Read by Cbteddy |
Chapter XIX | 23:16 | Read by acousticwave |
Chapter XX | 26:34 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXI | 31:51 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXII | 22:06 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXIII | 15:43 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXIV | 19:28 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXV | 17:11 | Read by Tim Rowe |
Chapter XXVI | 15:20 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXVII | 17:38 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXVIII | 17:05 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXIX | 15:05 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXX | 10:06 | Read by Stacey Malcolm |
Chapter XXXI | 27:54 | Read by Sylviamb |
Chapter XXXII | 28:09 | Read by Sylviamb |
Reviews
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Marigold
This is a story about a woman whose husband dies and leaves her without a penny. It's a story about a neglectful mother who hands her baby over to the nanny as soon as the baby is born and only bothers to glance at it once or twice a month after that. It's a story about a little girl who sits in a bare nursery on the third floor for years with no toys and no books only a nanny who feeds and clothes her and walks away as soon as she can. A girl who at the age of almost six finds out for the first time what a mother is. She's never known her mother or that she even has one. All she knows is that The Pretty Lady Downstairs sometimes comes to the nursery door and vaguely asks if the child is alright and then turns away to welcome another man in the drawing room for the next party. This is also the story of The Head of the House of Coombe who realizes what is going on and rescues the child from her nanny and provides a kind loving nanny and an affectionate intelligent governess. And the girl grows up into love.
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Angeles
It was really interesting. A well-written story.