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A Respectable Trade

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A Respectable Trade

By: Philippa Gregory
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
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About this listen

From the bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Bristol in 1787 is booming, from its stinking docks to its elegant new houses. Josiah Cole, a small dockside trader, is prepared to gamble everything to join the big players of the city. But he needs ready cash and a well-connected wife.

An arranged marriage to Frances Scott is a mutually convenient solution. Trading her social contacts for Josiah’s protection, Frances enters the world of the Bristol merchants and finds her life and fortune dependent on the respectable trade of sugar, rum and slaves.

Once again Philippa Gregory brings her unique combination of a vivid sense of history and inimitable storytelling skills to illuminate a complex period of our past. Powerful, haunting, intensely disturbing, this is a novel of desire and shame, of individuals, of a society, and of a whole continent devastated by the greed of others.

©1995 Philippa Gregory (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Romance Marriage Mystery
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Most relevant  
They ruined an otherwise well written, entertaining yet disturbing story, one constantly whining and complaining, half crying. The other loud, naggy and grating to listen to. I almost did not finish the book because of these.

The extremely annoying voices of Frances and Sarah.

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Such a page turner with fascinating history, I would recommend this book to all Philippe Gregory fans.

Loved It

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I had to keep checking that it was only one narrator because she did such an amazing job with all of the different voices – especially the African voices. I could have listened to them all day. And very grateful for this fictional history – it’s a really important part of history that I didn’t know that much about.

Excellent – great history and wonderful narration

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I loved this story, especially the historical about slavery that should never be forgotten.
The reading was also very well done. Usually I find a fault or two but this I can't.

Excellent

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I likes this story - the way it was written transports you into the era and you are confronted with the world of slave traders and their disgraceful attitude towards the African race.
Narrator was excellent as well

Great Story

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Fabulous story & amazing performance by Adjoa Andoh. I have listened to a few Philippa Gregory books now and she is a brilliant author.

Highly Recommended!

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I didn’t really enjoy the fictional aspect of this book as much as I usually enjoy Philippa Gregory’s books, but it gave me a much wider perspective of the slave trade, it’s cruelty and its effect on the generations of African people and the African continent. As always, the author has thoroughly researched the history of the era, the places and the people. The narration was good too.

Interesting, informative and very thought provoking

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Great piece of history telling, placing Britain at the very heart of the heinous transatlantic slave trade and exposing the ugly truth of those complicit and flagrantly exploiting the brutL, savage business for what it was: vile, uncivilized and utterly self serving. Any nobility in this trade was held by the African people themselves and those who dated to dream and risk all for a better world.

Fabulous characterisation

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I can’t say how much I disliked this book, indeed I did not finish it.
We do not need to be reminded of the atrocities that were enacted in the past. The only redeeming feature was the brilliant narration.

Not for the fair hearted

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