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The Flight of the Maidens

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The Flight of the Maidens

By: Jane Gardam
Narrated by: June Barrie
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About this listen

This delightful novel describes the post-war summer of 1946 - and follows the growing-up of three young women in the months between leaving school and taking up their scholarships at university. Una Vane, whose widowed mother runs a hairdressing salon in her front room, goes bicycling with Ray, the boy who delivers the fish and milk. Hetty Fallowes struggles to become independent of her possessive, loving, tactless mother. And Lieselotte Klein, who had arrived in 1939 on a train from Hamburg, uncovers tragedy in the past and magic in the present.

©2000 Jane Gardam (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Historical Fiction Romance Women's Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
I liked everything about the story - one of Gardam’s best.
My only reservation concerned the Cumbrian accents - sounded more Yorkshire. Otherwise, superbly read.

The characterisation of the three girls

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The girls all different but sharing a scholarly disposition deal with later teenage in their own ways. Beautifully written with emphasis on character like the Old Filth trilogy.

Great narration and dialect voices

Wonderful trip through lives of 3 girls

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I loved everything about it. Characters, parallel plot lines and historical contexts. The narrator was so talented and vibrant. Every voice totally realistic and varied.

the narrator was extraordinary

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The three main characters were so engaging and so real. Captured so well that vulnerable freedom you have between leaving school and college and the early days post war. I loved this book. Have enjoyed others by Jane Gardam but this is my favourite. Narrator excellent too

Great listen!

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Where does The Flight of the Maidens rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top of any list.

What other book might you compare The Flight of the Maidens to, and why?

'The Ruffian on the stair' read by Bill Wallis. Superbly drawn characters, all of them, even the minor ones

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

She is a superb narrator, clearly differentiating the characters and being consistent throughout. - it is apparent that she has done a lot of reading/preparation before committing to tape.

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

It reminded my of my own end-of-schooldays and preparation for university.

Any additional comments?

I have recommended the book to several friends. Some listened via Audible, some read hard copy, all greatly enjoyed it.

Jane Gardam never disappoints

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This is a poignant story of the lives of three girls during and just after the Second World War and largely describes what happened to each of them during the short interval between their final exams at school and when they left home a few months later to go up to University. All three girls have action-packed adventures! The individual stories explore experiences of the transition to independent adult-hood that will be familiar to listeners of any generation: what does one want to do in life; relationships with the opposite sex; the desire to, and the fear of, leaving home for the first time; and the need to separate oneself a bit from motherly love. The book is full of humour counter-balanced by sadness and regret that are the ingredients of life.
My parents went through the War so the fears and privations of the girls? lives are familiar territory and I would guess that the book would be even more evocative to those who would be contemporaries of the characters.
The pleasure of the book is greatly enhanced by June Barrie?s excellent narration and ability to perform so many different accents ranging in age, gender and social origin.

A charming book

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I love Jane Gardam's work and June Barrie's reading is exquisite. She doesn't make a big performance of it, and the characters are all very clearly defined by her talent for accents. A joy to listen to. I wish I'd not finished it.

Enchanting book, beautifully read

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I’d read Bilgewater in my teens and revisited again a few years ago and am delighted to say it’s one of my daughter’s favourites too.
Don’t know why I hadn’t read The Flight of the Maidens before, so glad I stumbled across it.
Every character so perfectly placed and thoughtfully realised.

Love the complex simplicity of these lives

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