The Cricket on the Hearth

John Peerybingle, a carrier, lives with his wife Dot (who is much younger than he), their baby, their nanny Tilly Slowboy, and a mysterious lodger. A cricket constantly chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family, at one point assuming a human voice to warn John that his suspicions that Dot is having an affair with the lodger are wrong.
The life of the Peerybingles frequently intersects with that of Caleb Plummer, a poor toymaker employed by the miser Mr. Tackleton. Caleb has a blind daughter Bertha and a son Edward, who travelled to South America and seemingly never returned. Tackleton is now on the eve of marrying Edward's sweetheart, May.
In the end, the lodger is revealed to be none other than Edward. Tackleton's heart is melted by the Christmas season, like Ebeneezer Scrooge, and surrenders May to marry her true love. It is suggested ambiguously that Bertha regains her sight at the end. (Wikipedia) (3 hr 21 min)

Chapters

Introduction	5:10	Read by Jason Isbell
Chirp the First part 1	27:58	Read by Sage Tyrtle
Chirp the First part 2	11:13	Read by Sage Tyrtle
Chirp the First part 3	20:30	Read by Sage Tyrtle
Chirp the Second part 1	19:04	Read by Qhali
Chirp the Second part 2	19:25	Read by Qhali
Chirp the Second part 3	28:23	Read by Qhali
Chirp the Third part 1	26:25	Read by Jason Isbell
Chirp the Third part 2	21:08	Read by Katie Baynes
Chirp the Third part 3	22:33	Read by Katie Baynes

Reviews

George from Idaho

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

The Peerybingle's have become an annual tradition in my wintery treks to work. My new friend Sage Turtle is a master story teller who makes the first part of this book come alive. Well done to all the narrators.

(5 stars)

Paddy Boi

A beautiful story, well written. To some (like me) it may be hard to follow at first, but when they get through the beginning, it is fairly engaging, full of detail, and truly a story of home.

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

A slow start but wonderful follow through that culminates in a Hallmark ending but that is ok 😀

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(2 stars)

jaimiddletonj

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Very Hearth Homeyinia3

(4 stars)

Sandrainia3

Close to the heart, much more so than a usual Dickens' book.