Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett - Available

A Place Called Freedom

by Ken Follett
Simon Prebble
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Larger-than-life characters, and an epic plot brimming with the energy of his internationally-acclaimed thrillers make Ken Follett's A Place Called Freedom an experience not to be missed. This lush novel-set in 1766 England and America-evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines, while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the western frontier-if they're brave enough to take it. Spanning two continents and bringing together an unforgettable cast of heroes, villains, and rebels, A Place Called Freedom is a magnificent epic of love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Narrator Simon Prebble's masterful use of voice and pacing captures a vivid cast of characters, and the powerful destiny that shapes their lives.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 25, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781490668772
      • File size: 422303 KB
      • Duration: 14:39:47

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Mack McAsh is a young Scottish coal miner longing for freedom. His life converges with highborn Lizzie Hallim's as they travel to the Colonies on separate missions. Ken Follett has penned an enthralling historical novel, which narrator Simon Prebble delivers with entertaining gusto. He changes characters in a natural and flowing manner, nourishing the continuity of the novel. His English accent complements a storyline filled with politics, love and travel. This audiobook is intriguing from the onset, inviting the listener on a trek through England and America of the 1700's. B.J.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 31, 1995
      The key to Follett's absorbing new historical novel (after A Dangerous Fortune) lies in words that ``made a slave of every Scottish miner's son'' in the 1700s: ``I pledge this child to work in mines, boy and man, for as long as he is able, or until he die.'' When young Malachi (Mack) McAsh challenges this practice, citing its illegality, he begins a pattern of rebelling against authority while pursuing justice. Mack's dangerous quest for freedom makes him a fugitive in High Glen, where he is brutally punished by Sir George Jamisson in retaliation for his intention to quit the mines. After escaping to London, Mack confronts injustice again when he tries to break the monopoly of ``undertakers,'' who furnish crews to unload coal from ships; arrested and tried, he is transported to Virginia as an indentured servant. All this time, his fate is intertwined with that of Lizzie Hallim, daughter of the impoverished laird of High Glen, who is as spirited, independent-minded and daring as is Mack himself. (Readers may not quite believe her sexual aggressiveness, but Follett knows how to strike chords with feminists.) But Lizzie is gentry, so she must marry Jay, the younger Jamisson son. Follett adroitly escalates the suspense by mixing intrigue and danger, tinged with ironic complications. He also provides authoritative background detail, including specifics about the brutal working conditions of mine workers and coal heavers and the routine of an American tobacco plantation. History is served by references to real-life English liberal John Wilkes, who challenged the established view that the virtual enslavement of ``common'' men by aristocrats was God's will, and events in Virginia as the Colonies move toward rebellion. If the dialogue sometimes seems lifted from a bodice-ripper, and if far-fetched coincidences keep flinging Lizzie and Mack together, these flaws are redeemed by Follett's vigorous narrative drive and keen eye for character. BOMC and QPB main selections; Reader's Digest Condensed Book selection; simultaneous Random House audio and large-print editions; author tour.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This Ken Follett work examines the struggles of both the rich and poor as they seek their own versions of "freedom," beginning in Scotland, then moving to London, and finally Virginia. Set in the late eighteenth century, A Place Called Freedom is filled with historical information but comes up short on plot and delivers a predictable ending. However, Sean Barrett picks up the slack with a marvelous presentation. His smooth, flowing delivery is storytelling at its best, complete with dozens of different vocal characterizations and dialects. A top-drawer listening experience. T.J.M. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Victor Garber's dry, flinty voice reflects the hard lives of coal miners, convicts and slaves to perfection, while lending exactly the right undertone to the inferior character of the story's upper class. American narration, combined with Scottish, British and Virginian characterization, could be confusing. But Garber's mastery of dialect provides an invisible blend of narration and dialogue, giving full weight to each, detracting from neither. Garber easily maintains the galloping pace of Follett's plot. The few loose ends resulting from abridgment would be apparent only to dedicated Follett readers. R.P.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now