Longbourn cover art

Longbourn

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Longbourn

By: Jo Baker
Narrated by: Emma Fielding
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah thought, she would be more careful not to trudge through muddy fields.

It is wash-day for the housemaids at Longbourn House, and Sarah's hands are chapped and bleeding. Domestic life below stairs, ruled tenderly and forcefully by Mrs Hill the housekeeper, is about to be disturbed by the arrival of a new footman smelling of the sea, and bearing secrets.

For in Georgian England, there is a world the young ladies in the drawing room will never know, a world of poverty, love, and brutal war.

 Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction

Critic Reviews

A reimagining of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of the servants . . . A joy
A genuinely fresh perspective on the tale of the Bennet household . . . Baker confronts the darker elements of eighteenth century life . . . The result is engrossing - and a lot of fun
A really special book, and not only because its author writes like an angel
Delightfully audacious . . . a work that's both original and charming, even gripping
Intoxicating . . . A joy in its own right, a novel that contrives both to provoke the intellect and, ultimately, to stop the heart
To twist something so familiar into something quite fresh is impressive . . . Baker takes ownership of this world without mimicking Austen's style, asserting instead her own distinctive voice . . . An engrossing tale we neither know nor expect
An Austen lover has the satisfaction of matching the novel chapter for chapter
Just enough Darcy to delight, as well as being a fascinating insight into the harsh working conditions of life in a grand house two hundred years ago
Jo Baker takes the reader on a journey back to a version of Regency England that is as much about poverty and war as social comedy and romance
This clever glimpse of Austen's universe clouded by washday steam is so compelling it leaves you wanting to read the next chapter in the lives below stairs
All stars
Most relevant
Told with a touch of humour. Very enjoyable to listen too and interesting perspectives of life at the time

Fabulous alternate story of life at Longbourn

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Admittedly I got a bit bored in the war bit but I loved everything else.

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’ve always treasured this book, with it’s calm and steady pace, and insight into other times. Emma Fielding narrates the story with the sensitivity it deserves. Perfect listen for troubled times.

One of my favourite stories, tenderly and gently narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Jo Baker's imaginative retelling of Austen's Pride and Prejudice makes for compelling listening. The invisible servants that managed the comfortable lives of the Bennets, the Darcys and the Bingleys in the original novel are here the stars of the show. The thankless drudgery of their long days, their small hopes and pleasures and their grand disappointments and despairs are wonderfully told. Emma Fieldings reading is strong and nuanced without being obviously theatrical. This is a really great novel which I cannot recommend highly enough.

Wonderful storytelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I just loved this different perspective of Pride and Prejudice. We examine the original story with not much thought being given to the servants. Superb

Fabulous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.