The Disenchanted Widow cover art

The Disenchanted Widow

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The Disenchanted Widow

By: Christina McKenna
Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
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About this listen

It’s the summer of 1981. Newly widowed Bessie Halstone is fleeing Belfast with her young son, Herkie. She’s wrongly suspected of pocketing £10,000, the loot from a heist carried out by Packie, her late (and unmourned) husband. Bessie has plans. She longs to make a fresh start. But first she must reach the safety of her sister’s home, in County Sligo, to borrow money for the trip.

She doesn’t make it. Car trouble forces her to sojourn in Tailorstown, a sleepy rural community. Her plans are put on hold as she decides to lay low for a while. She’ll need cash. She finds work as a housekeeper for the handsome but mysterious parish priest.

In the meantime, Lorcan Strong, an artist and a native of Tailorstown, is summoned home. With reluctance, he returns to the place where he feels almost a stranger, a town he has long outgrown.

A chance meeting with young Herkie Halstone leads Lorcan into the world of the disenchanted Bessie - and into a grave danger that has pursued them both from Belfast.

The Disenchanted Widow is an unforgettable peek into small-town life in Ireland’s recent past. It’s a glorious successor to McKenna’s first "Tailorstown" novel, The Misremembered Man.

©2013 Christina McKenna (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Money

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All stars
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love to hear more from the writer and narrator really enjoyed it very much

great story

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I really enjoyed this book eventually. After the amazing narrating by Gary Furlong for the first book, the Misremembered Man, I felt let down by the narrator of this book. The main characters accent was ok but the rest were a terrible let down, the accents were all wrong. But I enjoyed the story so kept going to the end.

I really enjoyed this book. But after the amazing

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I struggled to listen to the narrator. Story didn't keep me interested. Not my genre.

I tried this genre

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This is an unexpectedly beautiful story real for those of us who remember the era and heartwarming for those of us who do not know how it is to live in that situation but glad to know that there is hope eventually.

I have not read the book to which this is the sequel, but if it is anything like this and I hope it is, I fully intend to read it soon. This is not my usual style of book and I am completely new to the author but both the narration and the story, were very well presented, so much so that I listened to it in one sitting!

It is a great book for a sunny, rainy, quiet afternoon. Whatever the weather, you will enjoy it!

Beautiful and Heartwarming!

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This is the first time I have read a talking book. I'm on holiday and find it hard reading in the sun.so this was a great way to relax. I love the story line and find the disciption of the place it is set in running though my mind. Although I was a bit taken back with the violence near the beginning as I don't like to read that sort of book. I find the main characters voice easy to believe but the child's voice annoying and almost stopped reading because of this.

voice of child

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Having read the Christina McKenna’s novel The Misremembered Man and found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, I was disappointed with this audiobook. While I still found myself laughing in places I would have enjoyed it more had the narrator had a Northern Irish accent.

Enjoyable story but let down by the narrator

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if you can forgive the book for having no real understanding of northern Irish history, the story has a great number of characters, who whilst slightly dubious the book ultimately brings out the best within the characters. as a result the story is a great easy read and brought a smile to my face throughout.
however I would not recommend this book in audio, I have no idea who thought this was an Irish accent but it was truly appalling and I had to slow the speed down to understand it.

a typical Irish fiction book

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I tried to enjoy this book but the narrator's voice is dreadful. I had to slow it down she was to fast and the boys voice was hideous.

The narrator

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I've made it about half way through this audio book - The Disenchanted Widow - but can't listen to another word. The accents of the narrator range between highland Scottish and Pakistani traversing through Wales and Sweden in between. It is meant to be Irish!!!

The accents are worse than Mel Gibson's in Braveheart and that's saying something. The story is good but I can't listen to that woman a moment longer. I'm trying to return it.....

Don't purchase!

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