The duke and the Quaker nurse - without cliches.

Would you listen to Flowers from the Storm again? Why?

Fully-realised characters who engage your interest and sympathy whilst still being true to their own time.

What other book might you compare Flowers from the Storm to, and why?

Although the events and setting of the story are very different, this book reminded me in some ways of "Jane Eyre" - a charismatic and powerful man, used to arranging the world as he wants, meets an unsophisticated woman who seems timid and easily-influenced but is more than his equal in strength of character. The fluctuations of the balance of power between the two protagonists are sometimes at the forefront and sometimes overtaken by the flow of events as the rakish Duke of Jervaulx suffers a stroke and loses control over his life and property.The writing is polished and unrushed, allowing the listener full insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings.
Although this is a "historical romance", I think the only cliché of the genre you will find in this book is the opening scene, which contains an explicit description of the duke and his mistress in bed. Although the level of explicit description is repeated later, the sensuality of the later romantic scenes reflects the slow development of love and trust between Christian and Maddy despite their profound differences.

What does Nicholas Boulton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

If I'd read this book I'd have skimmed it to get to the key events, since I find it hard to stick with a lot of narrative and internal dialogue, but Nicholas Boulton's performance kept me interested. His consistent and skilful delivery is never boring and in the emotional scenes reaches a riveting intensity which is exactly right for this dramatic story.

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5 people found this helpful

10* OMG brilliant

So moving and thorough, a lesser author would have made this 4 books in the current trend of writing a 'series'.
Great narration portrayed the post stroke state fantastically.
this is a contender for one of my best books.

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Loved this book

Love the narrator and the story. One of my favourites.

One of her best books. Loved Maddy and the Duke.

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Brilliant

This book was absolutely brilliant. The best of Laura Kinsale so far and I've listened to a few. I found a few of them quite boring that could have been 5 hours shorter. But this was fantastic from beginning to end I couldn't stop listening. I couldn't wait to get back to it each time I had to stop.
I also liked Prince Of Midnight very much but this was even better. Although I must say that LK's heroines are not very likeable till the very end. But Maddie was OK, but about an hour before the end she was as annoying as all the other heroines in LK's books.
Nicholas Boulton was absolutely brilliant as always, especially in this book. He was fantastic.

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enjoyable

loved the story and really well read. great value for money as is such a long book!

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Possibly my no. 1 audiobook!!!!

From beginning to end, it's such a good story. I have all of Laura Kinsale's audiobook. She is my favourite author and as for Nicholas Bolton... Well a truly talented narrator! He makes the book come to life in a way no other narrator can!

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A wonderful book made as Theatre!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would indeed recommend this book to a friend, or anyone else who loves a great book; I love Laura Kinsale's writing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Flowers from the Storm?

There are too many memorable moments to mention.

Have you listened to any of Nicholas Boulton’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I have heard Nicholas Boulton and I think he must be the best Narrator ever!! He is able to slip into the character of each person seamlessly so you are able to picture the scenario before you as if you are watching a play.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In listening to this book, I experienced every emotion under the sun; from the first sentence to the last I ran the whole gamut and I felt more alive than before. this book pulled me apart, made me cry and laugh, too. Then, put me back together again at the end. Thank goodness I can listen again and again.

Any additional comments?

Thank you Laura Kinsale for choosing the best voice ever for your wonderful books; I will buy all of them as and when they are available.

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1 person found this helpful

A love story as good as Jane Eyre

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. I bought the audiobook based on Nicholas Boulton's voice which is mellifluous and a joy to listen to. I read the reviews on Amazon & Goodread & decided to take a punt. I didn't think I was going to enjoy the story, but once I got into it, I struggled to stop listening to it for the last 1/3rd of the recording. Nicholas Boulton is so much more than a narrator, he is a fabulous actor. I don't think I would have finished the book if I had read it. The hero had a stroke and in the first part of his journey back to health, understandably can't form his words, and must be quite hard to read. In this regard, listening to N.B reading it as an actor was wonderful. He brought the book alive. I would recommend it to fellow listeners who love Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. It is in the style of Georgette Heyer but so much meatier, less fluffy and so well written. I was sad when it ended.

What did you like best about this story?

The whole story was good, it continually moved along without getting stuck or a bit 'boggy' as some stories tend to do in the middle. I liked all the characters in the story, both good and bad. I was a little frustrated/annoyed with the heroine, Maddy, for her piety, but as a Quaker, that was the point. She came good in the end so that was a triumph for sense over religion (apologies to those who read this who are of a religious zealous persuasion). It's the second Laura Kinsale book that I've read that has a religious or cult theme - not sure what Fraud would say about her, or maybe she just likes writing about tortured religious souls? In brief, selfish, arrogant Mr Rochester-type-character (Christian, Duke of Jervoux) who lives life on his terms, has a stroke. Put in an asylum. Quaker girl cares for him (she met him pre-stroke through her father as both men genius mathematicians). He ends up relying on her totally while she understands his needs & helps him to manage his condition. She turns his world upside down through her kind deeds & simple life & he upends hers, literally and awakens her sexually. It is a very beautiful slow-burn love story.

Which character – as performed by Nicholas Boulton – was your favourite?

The hero, Christian, who was such a well-developed character through the hands of Laura Kinsale. Each time he fights to get his point across and can't, because of his stroke, she makes you feel his pain & frustration. He is a strong character who won't be beaten & I loved him better than I did Maddy, who at times I wanted to be more feisty (as she was at the beginning of the book & became less so as the book progressed)

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't really laugh (it wasn't like her Lessons in French that is humorous), but Christian's best friends are amusing especially the one who has brawn but no brains. His formidable aunt is also quite amusing. I didn't cry but I had a lump in my throat at the end of the book when Christian gave his speech at the Quakers meeting house & then to Maddy in the graveyard. He was brought to his knees & laid his soul bare. What compassionate woman couldn't be moved by that.

Any additional comments?

Buy the audiobook. Nicholas Boulton is a genius ! Great story, you'll love it.

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4 people found this helpful

An Amazing Love Story!

For anyone looking for a wonderful love story, look no further. It is beautifully written and breathtaking. I haven't felt like this since reading Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre!

This is about a gorgeous rake called Christian, who suffers from what we would now term a stroke and leaves him bereft of speech, amongst things, and he finds himself incarcerated in a lunatic asylum.

What made it especially extraordinary for me was personal experience from the same affliction with loss of speech. The writer has grasped the severity of the condition and how scary it really is.

For Christian though it is especially hard being a brilliant mathematician. Enter Archemedia Timms "Maddy Girl" who is the daughter of a fellow mathematician who is from the Quaker faith.

The story is "gut wrenching" at times as they have to not only overcome the hurdles of Christian's affliction, but also have to deal with very different faiths. I also have experience of this and again, the writer handles this superbly.

All the other characters are also very well written and with all the twists and turns, I can highly recommend this book for a journey you will enjoy and never forget.

The narration was excellent!

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1 person found this helpful

A favourite book now made even BETTER

Flowers from the Storm is a long-time favourite romance of mine. It's heartfelt and deeply romantic while not being an easy read, but is filled with beautiful prose and imagery. The hero, Christian, Duke of Jervalux begins the book as your typical alpha-male; a wealthy man-about-town who can (and does) have any woman he wants. He's also a mathematical genius - and it's this quality which brings him into contact with Archimedia (Maddy) Timms, the daughter of another mathematician with whom Christian has collaborated on a specific theorem.

When Christian (who is only 32) suddenly suffers what we would today recognise as a stroke, he is left unable to speak or understand and unable to perform simple, every-day actions; and his family, believing him to be an imbecile, commits him to an asylum.

The asylum is run by Maddy's uncle, Edward Timms, and is run according to the rules and principles of care laid out by the Society of Friends (Quakers) - and it is there that Maddy sees Christian again, afflicted and almost unrecognisable. She believes she has been given an "Opening" by God - and that to care for him is her duty.

It's a long and complex story. Christian is helpless for much of it and needs Maddy desperately. At the beginning his need is very selfish, as she is the one person who is able to understand him and ease his frustrations about how very dependent he has become. But his need gradually changes into something else, even as she is coming to love him against all her principles and better judgement.

His struggles are often agonising, his violent outbursts heart-breaking - as the reader is able to see what prompts them and feel for this once proud man and what he has been reduced to. Maddy can come across as rather too "preachy", especially in the later part of the book when Christian has to fight for his rights to his name and property against the family who want to put him back in the asylum so they can get their hands on his money. I can understand her to a point - she has been brought up to the Quaker way of life and it is so ingrained in her, so very much a part of her life that she really struggles to come to terms with the way she feels about Christian, and - more importantly - the way he makes HER feel. But it's still hard to like her when she deserts him when he needs her the most, even though she's just suffered a miscarriage (probably) and is finding it hard to cope with all the changes in her life.

For all its difficulty however, Flowers from the Storm is a superbly written and characterised love story. In audio, though, it's even BETTER. Nicholas Boulton is, quite simply, one of the best narrators - and to call him a "narrator" doesn't begin to do him justice - it has been my privilege to hear. Every character - even the most minor - has a distinct voice that fits them perfectly. He is just as convincing as the female characters as he is as the male ones; he has a way of softening his tone and raising the pitch of his voice slightly for Maddy which is just right and his characterisation of Christian's interfering Aunt Vesta is superb. His performance softens Maddy's harsher traits and, especially towards the end, makes it easier for the listener to understand what prompts her to do what she does (even if we still can't like it!)

But his performance as Christian is a real tour-de-force. Having to voice a character who has problems speaking must have been quite a challenge - yet it's perfect, from the often explosive way he blurts out his words, to his struggles to find the right word in the streams of them that run through his head. I felt his frustrations and his triumphs as he begins to reassert himself and regain his self-confidence and respect, and his desolation at losing Maddy. Hearing him find "the whole man" again was really moving, and I don't mind admitting to having a few lumps in my throat here and there.

In short, then - this is an outstanding performance of a deservedly well-loved favourite. Using your next credit - or even your hard-earned cash - would be to put either to very good use indeed.

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8 people found this helpful