-
The Lives of Diamond Bessie
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Anthea Greco
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Lives of Diamond Bessie
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
- By: Dawnie Walton
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,016
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 900
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 892
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding and timely
- By Darrell HANSCHEN on 04-26-21
By: Dawnie Walton
-
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
- By: Ellen Marie Wiseman
- Narrated by: Morgan Hallett
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 752
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 690
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 686
Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world. Six years after Rosemary's death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage's stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Repetitive
- By Damaris Ward on 09-03-23
-
Code Name Sapphire
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 172
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 171
1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Such a disappointment.
- By V. Temple on 03-29-23
By: Pam Jenoff
-
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
- A Novel
- By: Allison Pataki
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,030
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,018
Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
That's 10 hours of my life I'll never get back
- By Andrea L. Helms on 03-30-22
By: Allison Pataki
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40,324
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36,743
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36,666
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hidden gem, incredible narration!
- By Christine T on 05-17-22
By: Shelby Van Pelt
-
The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,854
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,637
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,626
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
This isn't my favorite but entertaining
- By Linda on 02-01-22
By: Fiona Davis
-
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
- By: Dawnie Walton
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,016
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 900
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 892
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding and timely
- By Darrell HANSCHEN on 04-26-21
By: Dawnie Walton
-
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
- By: Ellen Marie Wiseman
- Narrated by: Morgan Hallett
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 752
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 690
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 686
Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world. Six years after Rosemary's death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage's stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Repetitive
- By Damaris Ward on 09-03-23
-
Code Name Sapphire
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 172
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 171
1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Such a disappointment.
- By V. Temple on 03-29-23
By: Pam Jenoff
-
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
- A Novel
- By: Allison Pataki
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,030
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,018
Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
That's 10 hours of my life I'll never get back
- By Andrea L. Helms on 03-30-22
By: Allison Pataki
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40,324
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36,743
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36,666
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Hidden gem, incredible narration!
- By Christine T on 05-17-22
By: Shelby Van Pelt
-
The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,854
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,637
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,626
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
This isn't my favorite but entertaining
- By Linda on 02-01-22
By: Fiona Davis
-
Wherever the Wind Takes Us
- A Novel
- By: Kelly Harms
- Narrated by: Angela Lin
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 151
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 138
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 136
Twenty-two years of marriage, and all Becca Larkin’s divorce settlement includes is a live-aboard sailboat and a huge helping of heartache. So when normally cautious Becca proposes a girls’ trip with her daughter, Liv, boating from Maine to a ready buyer for the boat in Miami, it seems like a recipe for a fun summer and a fresh start. After all, how hard can this sailing thing be?
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Worst narrator ever
- By thinking on 11-14-22
By: Kelly Harms
-
The Life We Bury
- By: Allen Eskens
- Narrated by: Zach Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65,632
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59,994
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59,836
College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good listen!
- By Lori K. on 12-14-15
By: Allen Eskens
-
Hester
- A Novel
- By: Laurie Lico Albanese
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,168
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,050
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,048
Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic—leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible. When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Exquisite
- By Bird Miller on 10-08-22
-
Singapore Sapphire
- A Harriet Gordon Mystery, Book 1
- By: A. M. Stuart
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 908
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 775
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 771
Singapore, 1910 - Desperate for a fresh start, Harriet Gordon finds herself living with her brother, a reverend and headmaster of a school for boys, in Singapore at the height of colonial rule. Hoping to gain some financial independence, she advertises her services as a personal secretary. It is unfortunate that she should discover her first client, Sir Oswald Newbold - explorer, mine magnate, and president of the exclusive Explorers and Geographers Club - dead with a knife in his throat.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent!!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-02-19
By: A. M. Stuart
-
The Personal Librarian
- A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)
- By: Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,638
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,641
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,591
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Treat For This Academic Librarian!
- By AlTonya on 07-14-21
By: Marie Benedict, and others
-
The German Wife
- A Novel
- By: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,550
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,418
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,411
Berlin, 1930—When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Awkward Narrative
- By Terri S. on 07-14-22
By: Kelly Rimmer
-
West with Giraffes
- A Novel
- By: Lynda Rutledge
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,425
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,639
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,600
Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California’s first giraffes. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gritty, sweet, amazing, sad, uplifting
- By FL Bird Woman on 02-19-21
By: Lynda Rutledge
-
How to Sell a Haunted House
- By: Grady Hendrix
- Narrated by: Jay Aaseng, Mikhaila Aaseng
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,948
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,748
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,747
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world. Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Nope, nope, nope.
- By Karen Johnson on 01-24-23
By: Grady Hendrix
-
The Marriage Portrait
- A Novel
- By: Maggie O'Farrell
- Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt, Maggie O'Farrell
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,380
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,984
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,977
Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding, Lucrezia is thrust into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must make her way in a court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If You Love Alternate Histories, Get This
- By Jim on 09-26-22
By: Maggie O'Farrell
-
Thank You for Listening
- A Novel
- By: Julia Whelan
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,191
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,724
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,700
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Julia Whelan is the GOAT
- By echo404 on 08-03-22
By: Julia Whelan
-
The Victory Garden
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,538
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,205
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,192
As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong 21-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Ridiculously bad
- By mary on 03-23-19
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
- A Novel
- By: Marianne Cronin
- Narrated by: Sheila Reid, Rebecca Benson
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,554
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,143
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,123
Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Though the teenager has been told she’s dying, she still has plenty of living to do. Joining the hospital’s arts and crafts class, she meets the magnificent Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined. As their friendship blooms, a world of stories opens for these unlikely companions who, between them, have been alive for one hundred years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must Read (Listen)
- By Patricia on 06-03-21
By: Marianne Cronin
Publisher's summary
The Lovely Bones meets the wild, Wild West in this haunting tale inspired by a true story.
Pregnant out of wedlock, 16-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, she resorts to prostitution in order to survive.
As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler, a traveling salesman with a gambling problem. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.
Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a captivating tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.
Critic reviews
“This affecting tale of a 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth other than as a marriage prospect leaves a lasting impression.” (Publishers Weekly)
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
Worthy Brown's Daughter
- By: Phillip Margolin
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Matthew Penny, a young lawyer, arrives on the frontier with nothing but shattered dreams. Unable to face the memories that await back home, he joins the handful of lawyers practicing in Portland, Oregon - which in 1860 is just a riverfront town in a state less than a year old. Worthy Brown, a slave from Georgia, journeys west with his master, Caleb Barbour, who promises to reward Worthy and his daughter, Roxanne, with their freedom if they help him establish a homestead in Oregon. When Barbour reneges on his pledge, Worthy's hope for a fresh start with his child is destroyed.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Based on a true story
- By Jean on 02-07-14
By: Phillip Margolin
-
The Bastard
- The Kent Family Chronicles, Book 1
- By: John Jakes
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,160
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,026
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,023
Set against the colorful tumult of events that gave rise to our fledgling nation, this novel of romance and adventure introduces Phillipe Charboneau. The illegitimate son of an English nobleman, Phillipe flees Europe and, as Philip Kent, joins the men who set our course for freedom. The Bastard is the first volume in the Kent Family Chronicles, a series of novels that details one family's journey in the early years of the American nation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Amazing Tale
- By will on 11-06-13
By: John Jakes
-
Sawbones
- By: Melissa Lenhardt
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Catherine Bennett is destined to hang...unless she can disappear. With the untamed territory of Colorado as her most likely refuge, she packs her physician's kit and heads West. But even with a new life and name, a female doctor with a bounty on her head can hide for only so long.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Oh Yeah!
- By Syd Young on 05-04-17
By: Melissa Lenhardt
-
The Ripper's Shadow
- A Victorian Mystery
- By: Laura Joh Rowland
- Narrated by: Alex Tregear
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 94
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror. Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer, supplements her meager income by taking illicit boudoir photographs of the town's local ladies of the night. But when two of her models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it's more than mere coincidence.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Really not a good book.
- By Robin Thompson on 08-25-17
-
Out of the Darkness
- The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson
- By: Eric A. Shelman
- Narrated by: Deb Thomas
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 325
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 321
In New York City, in April of 1874, a most unusual event took place. A severely abused nine-year-old girl named Mary Ellen Wilson became the first child in America to be rescued from an abusive home. She had been beaten, burned, slashed with scissors, locked in a closet, and had never been outside of her tenement home in over 7 years. Thanks to the concern and dedication of a missionary named Etta Wheeler, the child was finally saved from her cruel captors.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Harrowing Story
- By musa on 03-21-17
By: Eric A. Shelman
-
Born of Persuasion
- Price of Privilege, Book 1
- By: Jessica Dotta
- Narrated by: Amanda McKnight
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston's position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland. With two months to devise a better plan, Julia's first choice - to marry her childhood sweetheart - is denied. Then, a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, opening a realm of possibilities.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Debut Book in Series
- By Carrie Fancett Pagels on 10-31-13
By: Jessica Dotta
-
Worthy Brown's Daughter
- By: Phillip Margolin
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Matthew Penny, a young lawyer, arrives on the frontier with nothing but shattered dreams. Unable to face the memories that await back home, he joins the handful of lawyers practicing in Portland, Oregon - which in 1860 is just a riverfront town in a state less than a year old. Worthy Brown, a slave from Georgia, journeys west with his master, Caleb Barbour, who promises to reward Worthy and his daughter, Roxanne, with their freedom if they help him establish a homestead in Oregon. When Barbour reneges on his pledge, Worthy's hope for a fresh start with his child is destroyed.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Based on a true story
- By Jean on 02-07-14
By: Phillip Margolin
-
The Bastard
- The Kent Family Chronicles, Book 1
- By: John Jakes
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,160
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,026
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,023
Set against the colorful tumult of events that gave rise to our fledgling nation, this novel of romance and adventure introduces Phillipe Charboneau. The illegitimate son of an English nobleman, Phillipe flees Europe and, as Philip Kent, joins the men who set our course for freedom. The Bastard is the first volume in the Kent Family Chronicles, a series of novels that details one family's journey in the early years of the American nation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Amazing Tale
- By will on 11-06-13
By: John Jakes
-
Sawbones
- By: Melissa Lenhardt
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Catherine Bennett is destined to hang...unless she can disappear. With the untamed territory of Colorado as her most likely refuge, she packs her physician's kit and heads West. But even with a new life and name, a female doctor with a bounty on her head can hide for only so long.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Oh Yeah!
- By Syd Young on 05-04-17
By: Melissa Lenhardt
-
The Ripper's Shadow
- A Victorian Mystery
- By: Laura Joh Rowland
- Narrated by: Alex Tregear
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 94
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror. Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer, supplements her meager income by taking illicit boudoir photographs of the town's local ladies of the night. But when two of her models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it's more than mere coincidence.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Really not a good book.
- By Robin Thompson on 08-25-17
-
Out of the Darkness
- The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson
- By: Eric A. Shelman
- Narrated by: Deb Thomas
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 325
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 321
In New York City, in April of 1874, a most unusual event took place. A severely abused nine-year-old girl named Mary Ellen Wilson became the first child in America to be rescued from an abusive home. She had been beaten, burned, slashed with scissors, locked in a closet, and had never been outside of her tenement home in over 7 years. Thanks to the concern and dedication of a missionary named Etta Wheeler, the child was finally saved from her cruel captors.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Harrowing Story
- By musa on 03-21-17
By: Eric A. Shelman
-
Born of Persuasion
- Price of Privilege, Book 1
- By: Jessica Dotta
- Narrated by: Amanda McKnight
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston's position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland. With two months to devise a better plan, Julia's first choice - to marry her childhood sweetheart - is denied. Then, a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, opening a realm of possibilities.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Debut Book in Series
- By Carrie Fancett Pagels on 10-31-13
By: Jessica Dotta
-
The Taker
- By: Alma Katsu
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 469
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 425
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 425
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her...despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Too dark for my taste
- By Margaret on 05-04-14
By: Alma Katsu
-
For the Roses
- Claybornes' Brides, Book 1
- By: Julie Garwood
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,112
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 997
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 996
The Clayborne brothers were a rough gang of street urchins - until they found an abandoned baby girl in a New York City alley, named her Mary Rose, and headed to Blue Belle, Montana, to raise her to be a lady. They became a family - held together by loyalty and love, if not blood - when suddenly a stranger threatened to tear them apart.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful Story
- By 🌸DARA on 12-14-13
By: Julie Garwood
-
These Honored Dead
- A Lincoln and Speed Mystery, Book 1
- By: Jonathan F. Putnam
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 266
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 233
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 234
Joshua Speed, the enterprising second son of a wealthy plantation owner, has struck off on his own. But before long he makes a surprising and crucial new acquaintance - a freshly minted lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln. When an orphaned girl from a neighboring town is found murdered and suspicion falls on her aunt, Speed makes it his mission to clear her good name. Of course he'll need the legal expertise of his unusual new friend.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What a Great Story!
- By Richard on 08-02-18
-
Banner O'Brien
- By: Linda Lael Miller
- Narrated by: Pilar Witherspoon
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 113
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
In 1886, lovely Banner O'Brien overcame every obstacle and won her coveted medical diploma. Still, she longed to escape from Oregon...and the nightmares that left her shaking, screaming one man's name. Banner fled to the Washington Territory to accept a position with Dr. Adam Corbin...arrogant, handsome, and, rumor said, violent. Although Banner respected his skills, she was unnerved by the very nearness of this moody, powerful man.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
narrator great story awful
- By joanie on 11-18-19
-
Except the Dying
- A Murdoch Mystery, Book 1
- By: Maureen Jennings
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 302
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 257
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 258
In the cold Toronto winter of 1895, the naked body of a servant girl is found frozen in a deserted laneway. The young victim was pregnant when she died. Detective William Murdoch soon discovers that many of those connected with the girl's life have secrets to hide. Was her death on attempt to cover up a scandal in one of the city's influential families?
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
If you like the show - don't buy
- By Sarah on 06-09-16
By: Maureen Jennings
-
Mata Hari's Last Dance
- A Novel
- By: Michelle Moran
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 137
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 138
Paris, 1917. The notorious dancer Mata Hari sits in a cold cell awaiting freedom...or death. Alone and despondent, she is as confused as the rest of the world about the charges she's been arrested on: treason leading to the deaths of thousands of French soldiers. As she waits for her fate to be decided, she relays the story of her life to a reporter who is allowed to visit her in prison.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Throughly enjoyable
- By scalante on 09-07-16
By: Michelle Moran
-
Fates and Traitors
- A Novel of John Wilkes Booth
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
In Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth, New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini renders for the first time as fiction the compelling interplay between these pivotal actors - some willing, others unwitting - who made an indelible mark on the history of our nation.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Read more like Wikipedia than a novel?
- By Star on 09-30-16
-
Wanton Angel
- By: Linda Lael Miller
- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
When Bonnie McKutchen left her wealthy husband in a storm of heartache and betrayal, she fled New York with nothing but the dress on her back. Eli McKutchen finally caught up with her in a Washington mining town, outraged to find his beautiful wife dancing for money in a gaudy saloon. Yet as his temper flared, so did his passion...for nothing could extinguish Bonnie's blazes once she set them.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Worst book ever read by Linda Lael Miller
- By Maureen on 06-09-16
-
The Ambassador's Daughter
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Joanna Daniel
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 238
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 216
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 215
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all. Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Book 0 in the series
- By Stevon on 12-12-17
By: Pam Jenoff
-
The Midwife's Tale
- A Mystery
- By: Sam Thomas
- Narrated by: Leila Birch
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 82
It is 1644, and Parliament’s armies have risen against the King and laid siege to the city of York. Even as the city suffers at the rebels’ hands, midwife Bridget Hodgson becomes embroiled in a different sort of rebellion. One of Bridget’s friends, Esther Cooper, has been convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to be burnt alive. Convinced that her friend is innocent, Bridget sets out to find the real killer.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Only so so
- By Marie on 11-13-13
By: Sam Thomas
-
Lions and Lace
- By: Meagan McKinney
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Heiress Alana Van Alen has everything - but she is living a lie. To protect her sister, she plays society's game and attends dazzling balls and soirees - until a cunningly orchestrated act of revenge leaves her penniless and at the mercy of one of the city's most notorious gentlemen. Dubbed the Predator of Wall Street, Trevor Sheridan rose from abject poverty in Ireland to the pinnacle of power in Manhattan. Yet he's still shunned by the city's elite Four Hundred. Now he has parlayed his hunger for revenge into a scheme to destroy the rich and powerful.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Not for me
- By Marcheta on 10-19-17
By: Meagan McKinney
-
Domina
- By: Barbara Wood
- Narrated by: Marion Castle
- Length: 20 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Beautiful and courageous, Samantha Hargrave dares to dream that she will become one of the first female doctors - and surgeons - in America. Born in the slums of London and possessing a special gift for healing, Samantha struggles to enter the all-male medical profession. When her ambition encounters hostile rejection in England, she sails to America, where she meets an eccentric doctor who takes her on as an apprentice.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Really bad.
- By Anonymous User on 12-29-17
By: Barbara Wood
Love Books? You'll Love Audible.
Transform your day
Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.
Listen everywhere
Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.
Carry your entire Library
Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.
Listen and learn
Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.
Reach your reading goals
You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.
Find your niche
WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.
What listeners say about The Lives of Diamond Bessie
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-24-22
Enjoyable read
Enjoyed the story of Bessie. I live just outside of Jefferson and the story and history of this area is the book are quite believable. Thank you for all the research and time you put in to make such a entertaining novel.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!