The Head of the House of Coombe


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(4.7 stars; 11 reviews)

While renowned for her beloved children's literature, Frances Hodgson Burnett's talent extended to historical novels. Originally serialized in 1920 in Scribner's Monthly, 'The Head of the House of Coombe' was met with immense popularity, leading to its full publication in 1922 in two volumes, as it distinctly deals with two epochs. The first, The Head of the House of Coombe, deals with social life in London during the evolutionary period between the late Victorian years and the reign of Edward VII and that of his successor, previous to the Great War. It brings Lord Coombe and Donal, Feather and her girl Robin to the summer of 1914. It ends with the ending of a world which can never again be the same. The second novel, Robin, to be published later continues the story of the same characters, facing existence, however, in a world transformed by tragedy, and in which new aspects of character, new social, economic, and spiritual possibilities are to be confronted, rising to the surface of life as from the depths of unknown seas. Readers of The Head of the House of Coombe will follow the story of Robin with intensified interest. (Summary by Rapunzelina, plus Publisher's Note) (11 hr 20 min)

Chapters

Chapter I 19:28 Read by Noreen
Chapter II 27:32 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter III 14:45 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter IV 22:35 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter V 12:59 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter VI 25:40 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter VII 28:27 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter VIII 21:05 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter IX 24:59 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter X 21:46 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter XI 26:20 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XII 16:16 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XIII 16:43 Read by acousticwave
Chapter XIV 17:54 Read by Victoria Scrimer
Chapter XV 26:32 Read by Belinda McReynolds
Chapter XVI 18:58 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XVII 32:56 Read by James Oligney
Chapter XVIII 18:12 Read by Cbteddy
Chapter XIX 23:16 Read by acousticwave
Chapter XX 26:34 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXI 31:51 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXII 22:06 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXIII 15:43 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXIV 19:28 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXV 17:11 Read by Tim Rowe
Chapter XXVI 15:20 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXVII 17:38 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXVIII 17:05 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXIX 15:05 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXX 10:06 Read by Stacey Malcolm
Chapter XXXI 27:54 Read by Sylviamb
Chapter XXXII 28:09 Read by Sylviamb

Reviews


(5 stars)

This is a story about a woman whose husband dies and leaves her without a penny. It's a story about a neglectful mother who hands her baby over to the nanny as soon as the baby is born and only bothers to glance at it once or twice a month after that. It's a story about a little girl who sits in a bare nursery on the third floor for years with no toys and no books only a nanny who feeds and clothes her and walks away as soon as she can. A girl who at the age of almost six finds out for the first time what a mother is. She's never known her mother or that she even has one. All she knows is that The Pretty Lady Downstairs sometimes comes to the nursery door and vaguely asks if the child is alright and then turns away to welcome another man in the drawing room for the next party. This is also the story of The Head of the House of Coombe who realizes what is going on and rescues the child from her nanny and provides a kind loving nanny and an affectionate intelligent governess. And the girl grows up into love.


(5 stars)

It was really interesting. A well-written story.