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The Tuscan Child
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble, Katy Sobey
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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Publisher's Summary
From New York Times best-selling author Rhys Bowen comes a haunting novel about a woman who braves her father's hidden past to discover his secrets....
In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal.
Nearly 30 years later, Hugo's estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father's funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Still dealing with the emotional wounds of her own personal trauma, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to Tuscany to understand her father's history - and maybe come to understand herself as well. Joanna soon discovers that some would prefer the past be left undisturbed, but she has come too far to let go of her father's secrets now....
Cover design by Shasti O'Leary Soudant
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What listeners say about The Tuscan Child
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- King
- 14-06-18
A Story Like Weak Wine
This story is like weak wine. It tastes right, just not that memorable or satisfying. The plot and characters are predictable from start to end, and just as frustrating, the narrative never explains what actually happened to one of the main characters. The secondary characters just seem hollow caricatures of prototype description. At its best, the book is a celebration of Italian cooking- but that isn’t what I was hoping for in this mostly disappointing story.
25 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martha
- 23-02-18
Loved it!!!
What made the experience of listening to The Tuscan Child the most enjoyable?
I felt like I was there, and since I am going to Rome, now I want to add Tuscany to the trip (but the town is made up, sigh)
Who was your favorite character and why?
I loved Joanna. she seemed sensible for 1973.
What about Jonathan Keeble and Katy Sobey ’s performance did you like?
I like the fact that Audible used a man for a man's voice and a woman for the woman's part and not a back and forth with a woman trying to do a man's voice.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I couldn't listen to it fast enough.
Any additional comments?
Definitely one I will recommend. I have read others by this author. she is one of my "check out to see if she has a new book out" authors.
120 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 22-02-18
Knocked this one out of the park
Rhys Bowen long ago proved her ability to develop interesting, complex characters and intriguing mysteries.
This novel, however, is her absolute best. Set in 1944 and 1973, the premise uses the classic devise of exploring the same story from two points of view and, in this case, two time periods. Hugo Langley is living the situation in 1944 which creates the mystery for Hugo's estranged and troubled daughter Joanna to figure out in 1973 as she comes to terms with both his death and her life.
I don't want to offer any detail that would allow any kind of spoiler, but I can safely tell you that Ms. Bowen has created a mystery, a romance, and a kind of coming-of-age story that will keep you curious until the very end. Nothing much is at is appears to be.
In addition, Ms. Bowen has used language beautifully to bring several complex characters to life in settings that allow the reader to see, feel and smell.
Finally, the narrators are both excellent. Katy Sobey does a wonderful job with Joanna's voice and the characters that live the story with her in 1973 as Joanna tries to solve the mystery she finds in her father's will. But Jonathan Keeble is simply outstanding reading Hugo as a British pilot trapped in a tiny town in Italy under German occupation as the Allies get closer.
I highly and enthusiastically recommend The Tuscan Child. Don't hesitate. Get it.
220 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Drsek
- 02-05-18
Story somewhat predictable, and sooooo sloooow..
With all the good reviews, I expected more from this book. The narrators are fine, but the story is so painfully slow to progress, and the outcome becomes more and more obvious, that I almost gave up on it part way through. I have listened to several of this author's books and won't bother with any more. Note: the descriptions of the food did make me hungry...
55 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Simone
- 01-03-18
So dissapointed! I really wanted to like it.
I REALLY wanted to like this book, and I expected I would because I am such a fan of Rhys Bowen, but sadly this was a total flop for me!
It was eye-rollingly cliched, too easy, oversimplified, the ending was too quick and all things were resolved in a snap. Everyone gets rich and lives happily ever after.
I especially disliked all the food talk! It did not advance the story at all and the attempts to slip recipes into the story felt contrived. I realize the point was to paint the scene and make us feel what a Quaint Tuscan Village must be like… but it didn’t, it was just awkward.
I never felt any emotion for the characters, and therefore could not suspend my disbelieve and just go with it. The only character I did like a little was Hugo but not enough to save the book. Too bad.
Still, this sad miss in a long line of hits from Ms Bowen is just a blip, I continue to be a fan and I will still tune in to whatever she writes next!
112 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Deanne Harper
- 01-03-18
Read it for the Tuscan food descriptions
If you could sum up The Tuscan Child in three words, what would they be?
This story began in a compelling manner; the two main characters are fairly well developed, though other characters much less so. The story dilemma is rather compelling, but the plot turns go from unlikely to preposterous. The child's identity is predictable very early; the villain is evident well before the author reveals that identity. Not a bad listen for a road trip, but little more -- I will say, though, the descriptions of Tuscan cooking caused cravings so powerful I made gnocci tonight (with sausage, sage, garlic, peccorino).
45 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- cristina
- 06-03-18
Juvenile
Silly plot (fortuitous earthquakes and coincidences; characters who appear so briefly you'll wonder why they were included at all; abandoned sub plots). Poor character development (passionate man turns into cold hearted father for no reason; class conscious man is conscious of class on and off; intelligent heroine behaves like an idiot). Amazed I finished it.
74 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-07-18
Overall, a no
I couldn't even finish this one. It's just filler that gets increasingly more boring as it goes along. It also gets increasingly absurd to the point that it's laughable. This would've made a great short story,
19 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Dan Riley
- 26-04-18
Painful Performances
Way too much performance here. Listeners do not need readers to enact all these different voices. It’s a book, not a play. Trying to do more invites this kind of criticism: the female reader turned all the Italian characters into Bela Lugosi and the male reader robbed the character of Sofia any chance to be imagined as alluring by sticking her with his husky approximation of a woman’s voice. Pretty weak story as well filled with annoying digressions to author’s obvious travel notes.
30 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 07-08-18
Just a romance
Disappointing. Sappy story. If I'd wanted a romance, I'm sure there are better ones out there.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- BarbaraM
- 31-07-18
Very enjoyable
I enjoyed the mystery, the clues and the eventual revelations. Rhys Bowen has a smooth writing style that is tinged with optimism.
The background, the setting of a WW2 and a modern Italy in rural Tuscany, is interesting, especially if you have a little WW2 Italian campaign knowledge. A very intense and brutal war largely overlooked by Hollywood.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss A.
- 08-11-20
Enjoyable
A well read, charming story, easy happy listening. with enough mystery to keep you engaged.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ababy
- 04-08-20
A wonderful read
Iit conjured up the imaginations of the beautiful Tuscany region of Italian romance and it's struggles with the ever present fears of war
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruth
- 08-06-20
brilliant
this book covers it all, bit of history, bit of crime, bit of romance set in a beautifully described Italian world. perfect escapism that kept me entertained right to the end!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Southern Reader
- 11-11-19
Feel good ending
Enjoyed this story, being able to switch between reading and listening whilst walking was fantastic.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Emilie
- 26-06-19
Soap opera verging on high school essay
Literary equivalent of paint by number. Stilted dialogue and predictable plotting. Narrator is okay but a rote performance with rote material
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR.K.GILL
- 06-01-19
Really Enjoyed
An audiobook that you want to listen to right to the finish
the only thing that was maybe overdone was the Italian food recipes and constant references to how they were eating
which I think took up chapters in the book
that wasn't required
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark D Smith
- 16-01-21
Tuscan Child a masterpiece
I loved it the way there are 2 life stories going on at the same time 30 years apart. A bit of war story for the boys coupled together with a love story for the girls. Also very well read.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Annette C
- 24-03-18
The Tuscan Child
A new and interesting WW2 story told as a flash back by the daughter of a pilot who had survived after crashing his plane on a bombing mission over Italy. Brilliant characters and a excellent portrayal of a modern small Italian town. The background story is a page turner and the mystery not revealed until the end. The romance develops believably and I liked the ending.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 25-02-18
Great listen
Had me entranced from beginning to end,love the picture that was evoked by the plot.
Have been a big Rhys Bowen fan since reading my first Royal Spyness mystery.
Hope we get to experience more from my favourite author soon.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cate B
- 24-04-18
An easy listen
Would you consider the audio edition of The Tuscan Child to be better than the print version?
I found it a bit slow going as an audio book. If I read the print version, I probably would have skimmed some of the long descriptions. That said, I listened to the end and enjoyed some of the twists and turns.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melania
- 07-03-18
Recommend!
Written so vidily I felt I was there in the scene with the characters. Great story with an optimistic outlook. It took me a while to get used to the narration as it was dramatised. However I would highly recommend this book for its storyline and imagry.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-03-18
Terrible !
I made it to chapter 11 before I just had to give in with this book. The narrator had the most annoying reading style where every sentence she read went up at the end as if every sentence was a question and she had this high pitched whiney voice that just got on my nerves every time she spoke . Unfortunately she did most of the 2 part reading. The man's voice was much better but with the annoying woman's voice and the pretty average and not too enthralling story line I lost interest very quickly. Wasted one of my precious credits on this book 😕
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Rudu
- 02-03-18
Predictable, corny sprinkle with melodrama
I really didn’t enjoy this. The reader’s voices were distracting, the characters were cheesy, seemingly no time had been spent researching beyond some time in Tuscany. The caricatures...oops, I mean characters! The brash, uncaring, money obsessed yank...the too-polite-for-his-own-good upper class English gent, the gorgeous but waifish English heroine, the eager Italian homely lady eager to fatten her up, the ogling Italian, the conveniently handsome Italian untouched by his evil benefactors bad traits...ugh!