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Audiobooks Narrated by Emma Spurgin Hussey
Browse audiobooks narrated by Emma Spurgin Hussey, listen to samples and when you're ready head over to Audiobooks.com where you can get 3 FREE audiobooks on us
"*A FINANCIAL TIMES, GUARDIAN AND TLS BOOK OF THE SUMMER*
'The fascinating story of ancient words … new revelations await' The Guardian
'A magisterial feat' New Scientist
One ancient language transformed our world. This is its story.
Star. Stjarna. Stare. Thousands of miles apart, people look up at the night sky and use the same word to describe what they see.
Listen to these English, Icelandic and Iranic words and you can hear echoes of one of the most extraordinary journeys in humanity’s past. All three of these languages – and hundreds more – share a single ancient ancestor.
Five millennia ago, in a mysterious Big Bang of its own, this proto tongue exploded, forming new worlds as it spread east and west. Today, nearly half of humanity speaks an Indo-European language. How did this happen?
In Proto, acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney sets off to find out. With her we travel the length of the steppe, navigating the Caucasus, the Silk Roads and the Hindu Kush. We follow in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread these tongues far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the linguists, archaeologists and geneticists racing to recover this lost world. What they have discovered has vital lessons for our modern age, as people and their languages are on the move again.
Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words."
"‘Should be required reading for those who care about how society treats our most vulnerable citizens.’ Louise Allen
When the system fails the parents, how can it protect the children?
Welcome to the secretive world of the Family Court.
What's it like to act for a father who has recently overcome his drug problem but risks losing his beloved son to foster care?
Or to represent a young mother whose abusive childhood has left her depressed and struggling to cope, to the point where the local authority is seeking to persuade the Family Court to place her small children for adoption?
The Family Court makes life-changing decisions about the most vulnerable children in England and Wales behind closed doors. It's an institution tasked with protecting the youngers most at risk, but how often does it make the right decisions?
In this hard-hitting account of her work representing parents in care proceedings in the Family Court, child protection lawyer Teresa Thornhill conveys the dilemmas inherent in the job and shows how our under-resourced system of child protection – in both its social work and legal aspects – often fails to provide support that could enable the most vulnerable parents to continue to care for their children.
‘A vivid account of all the terrible things that can happen to children and all the challenges facing lawyers and social workers in our child protection system which is meant to help and protect them but which struggles to do so. It doesn’t have to be this way so what can be done about it?’ – Rt Hon Lady Hale DBE, Formerly President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
‘This timely book resonated with my experiences as a children’s social worker and probation officer; it’s a refreshingly honest account of our dysfunctional child protection system.’ – Joanna Hughes, former children’s social worker and probation officer."
"Pigeon Blood is a fast paced, contemporary and thrilling romance, set in the cultural metropolis that is Berlin. The city's secrets and dark underground scene is revealed in this suspenseful story of love, betrayal, murder and the pigeon blood red ruby at the scintillating centre of it all."
"‘Truly gripping… I loved it.’ Jill Mansell, Sunday Times bestseller
A heartbreakingly beautiful novel which captures the endurance and strength of ordinary people in the darkest of times, and the courage of one woman who put her life on the line to join the resistance. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Secret Messenger.
1944, the Cote d’Azur.
Artist Marguerite Segal is recruited by British Intelligence into befriending Etienne Valade, a local priest. Her mission is to persuade him to pass on information from the high-ranking German officers who attend his church: evidence of their war crimes.
Connected by a passion for art, Marguerite and Etienne soon fall in love, but their association increasingly puts her at danger of violent reprisals. With his church frequented by Nazis, Etienne is a suspected collaborator, and distrust is high.
And Marguerite is keeping her own secret too. Like the Jews whose identity cards she forges to hide them from the Third Reich, she is hiding behind a false name, her true identity and past known only to her closest friend.
Marguerite must get hold of the documents that will condemn the German officers but, in a world where everything is at stake, can she truly trust anyone – even the man she loves?
Praise for The Secrets We Keep:
‘I absolutely loved this… Vivid and heartbreaking.’ Lana Kortchik, USA Today bestselling author of Sisters of War
‘War, passion and tragedy unite in this atmospheric and moving tale.’ S D Sykes, author of the Oswald de Lacy Medieval Murders series
‘A wonderfully immersive, emotional read.’ Annabelle Thorpe, author of The Enemy of Love
‘I stayed up late into the night to finish… A thrilling, exciting story… You might want to have some tissues handy.’ Reader review
‘I enjoyed this novel very much!’ Reader review
‘I highly recommend reading this.’ Reader review
‘Wonderful.’ Reader review"
"’Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read.’ Katie Fforde
’Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell
Can they make this a wedding to remember?
Cal and Demi are preparing to turn their beloved Kilhallon Resort into a wedding venue. With the cliff-top setting and coastal views, it's the perfect place for a magical ceremony.
To launch the venue they need something special, and their first clients are no ordinary couple. The bridge and groom are internationally famous actors Lily Craig and Ben Trevone. And they have the demands to match their celebrity status.
As the big day approaches and tempers soar, can Demi and Cal ensure that Kilhallon's first wedding goes off without a hitch? One thing’s for sure, this will be a Cornish celebration like no other …
A gorgeous romance from Sunday Times bestselling author Phillipa Ashley. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain.
Authors and readers can’t get enough of Phillipa Ashley!:
‘Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read.’ Katie Fforde
‘The characters are wonderful and I felt like they were old friends by the time I got to the end of the book.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell
‘Really well written with an excellent storyline and well-round characters.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A glorious, tantalising taste of Cornwall, I could almost taste the salt of the sea air as I read it.’ Jules Wake
‘I spent every spare second reading it!. Well written, easy reading.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘An utterly glorious, escapist read from one of the freshest voices to emerge in women's fiction today. I loved every gorgeous page.’ Claudia Carroll
‘PLEASE read this, you won’t be disappointed if you like beautiful beaches and gentle romance.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"
"Return to the Cornish Cafe in this gorgeous festive romance – the perfect book to curl up with this Christmas.
Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.
She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?
Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.
A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?
This second novel in the bestselling Cornish Cafe series is the perfect Christmas read."
"One summer can change everything . . .
Perfect for readers who love Debbie Johnson, Cathy Bramley and Trisha Ashley.
“Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read.” Katie Fforde
'Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!' Jill Mansell
Demi doesn’t expect her summer in Cornwall to hold anything out of the ordinary. As a waitress, working all hours to make ends meet, washing dishes and serving ice creams seems to be as exciting as the holiday season is about to get.
That’s until she meets Cal Penwith. An outsider, like herself, Cal is persuaded to let Demi help him renovate his holiday resort, Kilhallon Park. Set above an idyllic Cornish cove, the once popular destination for tourists has now gone to rack and ruin. During the course of the Cornish summer, Demi makes new friends – and foes – as she helps the dashing and often infuriating Cal in his quest. Working side by side, the pair grow close, but Cal has complications in his past which make Demi wonder if he could ever truly be interested in her.
Demi realises that she has finally found a place she can call home. But as the summer draws to a close, and Demi’s own reputation as an up and coming café owner starts to spread, she is faced with a tough decision . . .
A gorgeous story exploring new beginnings, new love and new opportunities, set against the stunning background of the Cornish coast – starring a feisty, compelling heroine who leaps off the page and encourages you to live your summer to the full.
If you loved Summer at the Cornish Cafe, don’t miss the next in the Penwith Trilogy, Christmas at the Cornish Cafe!"
