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Winter Solstice Audiobook
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(4.00) - 7,240 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Rosamunde Pilcher, Winter Solstice (the basis for the TV movie) is the story of five unforgettable characters, lonely and haunted strangers who find love and loyalty as a reborn family of friends during the Christmas holidays.
Elfrida Phipps, once of London’s stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life—shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name—still she finds herself lonely.
Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile.
Carrie returns from Austria at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and sister sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her sister's awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.
Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.
It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan.
“Tender…evocative…an occasion to celebrate.”—People
“[Readers] may find so much enjoyment in Winter Solstice that they’ll want to revisit some of her other books, such as The Shell Seekers and Coming Home.” —USA Today
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"One of my favorite books of all time. I always feel that I am ACTUALLY IN THIS BOOK! I want to be with them as they each experience their days in Scotland. Despite the tragedy that life brings, these characters work through it with each others help, albeit, with some, to me, miraculous events thrown in as well. My third time reading this was as good or better than the first."
— Linda (5 out of 5 stars)
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Elegant reading in which Rosamunde Pilcher provides the two hallmarks of her writing: gentle, atomospheric recreation of English lifestyles and an appealing cast of interesting people whose lives come together for new experiences while theyre making other plans.
— RT Book Reviews (four stars) -
... remarkably evocative sense of place and watercolorist's eye for muted detail.
— Kirkus Reviews -
“The author of The Shell Seekers has penned another romance sure to give fans the warm fuzzies.
— Publishers Weekly
Winter Solstice Listener Reviews
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" I am in the process of moving, and all my stuff is in storage, so I thought I would miss hearing my favorite Rosamunde Pilcher novel this season. But there it was, and I was so very glad to find it. The narrator was different; I am used to Lisa Burgett, and this reader was Jilly Bond. But I still loved it! Thank you for making it available. "
— Route66Roadie, 12/19/2022 -
" Another fabulous book that I couldn't put down. She really creates an intimate bond between the characters and the reader. "
— Amber, 2/13/2014 -
" Winter Solstice is a comfy heartwarming read. I wish I could read it again for the first time. I love Ms. Pilcher's craft. She's like listening to your favorite auntie tell her dear tales. "
— Tami, 2/11/2014 -
" A good story with interesting characters- it was one I kept wanting to get back to reading. It's the kind of book that I feel involved in as I'm reading as though those characters could walk in my door any moment- or actually more like I could walk in theirs. "
— Danielle, 1/24/2014 -
" Loved this book! Great characters that you fall in love with! "
— Pam, 1/22/2014 -
" There's nothing like reading a Rosamunde Pilcher novel once the weather starts to turn cooler. This is my second reading of this book, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. It's a nice gentle story with characters I'd like to know in real life. I guess the simplicity of it all speaks to me... "
— Barbara, 1/20/2014 -
" good story. She is an endearing author. "
— Barb, 1/15/2014 -
" I LOVE this book - I've read it again and again!!! It's so gentle and festive. :) "
— Louise, 1/6/2014 -
" Rosamunde Pilcher's books are the ultimate literary comfort food. Winter Solstice is wonderful. While not as epic as Coming Home or to the height of The Shell Seekers and September, Winter Solstice is a delight. "
— K., 12/31/2013 -
" This is Pilcher's best. I read it every winter. Nothing ground breaking. Just a nice story for a winter evening. "
— Louise, 12/9/2013 -
" One of my favorite books all time "
— Carlasu, 11/29/2013 -
" I LOVE Rosamunde Pilcher, nothing bad can EVER happen when I'm reading one of her books. Only half way through but loving this, even though it's still practically summer. Making me long for winter, nice. "
— Harriet, 10/6/2013 -
" One of my favorites. I have read it every winter since I got it. Comfort food. "
— Leila, 9/24/2013 -
" Being a fan of Ms. Pilcher, Winter Solstice did not disappoint. Not as good as Coming Home but still an enjoyable story. "
— Cindy, 5/3/2013 -
" Good winter/Christmas read, spent most of the snowy day yesterday in front of the fire with it. I like Rosmunde Pilcher's writing. She incorporates a lot of gardening jargon in her writings and basically a clean read, which is hard to find sometimes. "
— Sherrie, 3/10/2013 -
" This may be my favorite book of all time. I read it every year, starting on the day after Thanksgiving. Some day I hope to visit Scotland! "
— Susan, 8/2/2012 -
" I read a bunch of Rosamunde Pilcher novels right after I graduated from college because I needed something light. She has a talent for writing about human emotions and relationships. I don't think I could read any of her books a second time, but they weren't bad the first time around. "
— Elissa, 7/28/2012 -
" I really liked this book, but then I think I've liked everthing I've read by Rosamunde Pilcher. Her characters are so real and likable. Good book! "
— Beth, 4/23/2012 -
" Book on Tape. Everything ended too perfectly. Good happy endings are nice, but in this case I didn't like it. Too perfect. "
— Brenda, 1/27/2012 -
" This book didn't grab me at first but the more I read the more I wanted to. I really love the way she makes the characters come to life and makes them part of your life. You HAVE to know what happens to them. "
— Diane, 1/19/2012 -
" Wonderful story by an excellent writer. "
— Susan, 10/7/2011 -
" I read this a number of years ago. I decided to read it again because I like the feel of it. "
— Bonnie, 9/15/2011 -
" I loved her character development, but wish she had written a sequel. I would like to know what happened to some of the characters. This is my first book by Rosamunde Pilcher and it was an easy, delightful read. "
— Just, 7/29/2011 -
" It was the perfect book to read this Christmas time... "
— Zaxxos, 6/26/2011 -
" Couldn't get into this book. I tried 3 times, but kept getting lost in the words and useless information. Got to page 57, and still didn't understand the setting or the characters. Finally just gave up, it wasn't worth the effort. "
— Denise, 5/30/2011 -
" I enjoy Pilcher's "soft", easy read. Her characters came to life for me and I looked forward to getting back to spending time with them each time I picked up the book. "
— Marsha, 5/10/2011 -
" So far I am really enjoying this book. I love Rosamunde Pilcher anyway, so I expected to like this book and it has not dissapointed. "
— Margie, 5/9/2011 -
" Good winter read, felt the main characters should have been developed more. "
— Susan, 4/27/2011 -
" A nice story but I enjoyed the Shell Seekers more. "
— Erin, 4/10/2011 -
" Each chapter features one of the well-developed characters; often an event is retold from another character's perspective which can become a little tiresome. English setting, family dynamics and a tad predictable but a good read for rainy days! "
— Pat, 4/2/2011 -
" This book embraced me and took me into a lovely world. I really grew to care about these characters and am cranky at finishing the book and leaving them. A wonderful book to read under the covers in winter! "
— Lyn, 3/7/2011 -
" Good book....I didn't want it to end. "
— Laura, 2/27/2011 -
" On my TOP TEN list. "
— Merlene, 2/10/2011 -
" No doubt one of he best novels R. Pilcher has written. The story of unlikely people coming together in a short period of time. Good read. Cried and laughed. "
— Sonia, 2/1/2011
About Rosamunde Pilcher
Rosamunde Pilcher (1924- 2019) wrote such worldwide bestselling novels as The Shell Seekers, September, Coming Home, Winter Solstice, and Voices in Summer. Her breakthrough novel, The Shell Seekers, sold more than ten million copies. She also authored the photographic autobiography, The World of Rosamunde Pilcher. She was an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and lived in Perthshire, Scotland.
About Jilly Bond
Jilly Bond has worked extensively in theater and radio for many years. Her stage credits include Miranda in The Tempest, Fiona in When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout, and Anita in A Small Family Business. She is regularly heard in dramas for Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. She has won two AudioFile Earphones Awards for her audiobook narration.