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Bilgewater

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Bilgewater

By: Jane Gardam
Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
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About this listen

Marigold Green calls herself ‘hideous, quaint and barmy’. Other people call her Bilgewater, a corruption of Bill’s daughter. Growing up in a boys’ school where her father is housemaster, she is convinced of her own plainness and peculiarity. Groomed by the wise and loving Paula, upstaged by bad, beautiful Grace and ripe for seduction by entirely the wrong sort of boy, she suffers extravagantly and comically in her pilgrimage through the turbulent, twilight world of alarming adolescence.

©1976 Jane Gardam (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant

I really enjoy Jane Gardems books this is one of my favourites.
Well narrated
So enjoyable I think I will listen to it again!








Loved loved loved this book

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Funny, charming and poignant, this story was totally absorbing. The characters are quirky and believable, and at the end it felt like leaving friends. Narration was absolute perfection.

Wonderful in every way

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A charming and engaging tale that is very well read and a good choice to hear aloud.

Charming and engaging.

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Nothing to dislike . It was compelling and gripping for every second. The narrator was superb. Could not fault her voices .

Extraordinary plot and characterisation. Hugely enjoyable variety of voices throughout. Absolutely brilliant

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Where does Bilgewater rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best books I have listened to. I enjoy Jane Gardam's work and this unusual story ranks, for me, as one of her best. None of the characters are run-of-the-mill, but she brings them to life with her vivid descriptions.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bilgewater?

Marigold's first real encounter with the outside world, when she visits Jack Rose and, later, Terrapin, is full of description and spontaneous emotion.

What about Anna Bentinck’s performance did you like?

Anna Bentinck seemed to be the perfect performer for this book. Her depiction of the voices of the very different characters was superb. This worked very well at the end of the book; her portrayal of one particular character answered some questions for us!

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

This book made me laugh and cry. I experienced pure joy at times, as well as great empathy with Marigold and other characters.

Any additional comments?

I mostly listen to audiobooks on my daily walks. I had to ration this book because I never wanted it to end!

Wonderful story, beautifully narrated

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Beautifully written, as you would expect from Jane Gardam, and beautifully read. I wept at the end. And wanted to go back and begin again.

Loved it! Missing all the characters now

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I loved the people, the setting, the detail, and the plot. Jane Gardam has such a skill in creating credible and likeable characters. I also felt I was in the book too and things were happening to me.

Such an original story

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