The Little House

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Alix Dunmore

It was easy for Elizabeth. She married the man she loved, bore him two children and made a home for him which was the envy of their friends.

It was harder for Ruth. She married Elizabeth’s son and then found that, somehow, she could never quite measure up...

Isolation, deceit and betrayal fill the gaps between the two individual women and between their different worlds.

In this complex thriller, Philippa Gregory deploys all her insight into what women want and what women fear, as Ruth confronts the shifting borders of her own sanity.

Laying bare the comfortable conventions of rural England, this spine-tingling story pulses with suspense until the whiplash double-twist of the denouement.

©2010 Philippa Gregory Ltd (P)2024 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Fiendishly plotted...this is Gregory at her most chillingly convincing.' (Cosmopolitan)

'This brilliant psychological chiller...is utterly, nail-nibblingly plausible. You will relish its explosive climax and be gripped through to its final, superb, double-twist finish.' (Daily Mail)

'Insidiously gripping.' (The Independent)

Great job, Phillipa!

I've long been a fan of Phillippa Gregory whose ability to wind together beautiful narratives with rigorous research is well known. This foray into modern fiction is a triumph! Her illustration of the abuse done to women through misogyny and patriarchy is all too real and deeply felt. This is particularly painful when wielded by another woman. I predict that this book is going to be taught in Literature classes for future generations.

I loved this so much!!!!

I didn't want to stop listening until the end. I kept me on my toes with the snappy writing.

So timely

This book was well ahead of its time. Hard to listen to at times because of the intensity, but well worth every second.

Impossible to stop listening

I loved this book. I couldn’t stop listening to it and finished it much too quickly. The reader is perfect. And the ending perfect as well. I’m glad it was the special audiobook of the day because otherwise I never would’ve known about it.

The possibilities....

But the possibilities never came to be - don't stick with it - not at all worth it.

Loved it!

Can't fault it. Lovely from beginning to end. If you don't know what you want to listen to, go for it.

Loved it - PG does it again

Don’t typically like books written about more modern times but gave it a try because of Philippa Gregory. Wow. I am in love with this author she can tell an amazing, twisted tale about any era. I’ve probably either read or audibled 90% of her titles and this one was as catching as all of her books. If you’re hesitant about the era it’s written about, don’t be…you’ll love it.

Revenge is best served cold

What a perfectly written story of betrayal, selfishness and the forced slide into mental illness.

A slow start to a great ending.

A story that takes a while to get you introduced to the characters and to the plot. Be patient. Listen. You will love the characters.

Quite the family

Great story! The end had quite the twist. Loved it! The narration was excellent. The story kept my interest from beginning to end.