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    A Place Called Freedom
    A Place Called Freedom
    A Place Called Freedom
    Audiobook14 hours

    A Place Called Freedom

    Written by Ken Follett

    Narrated by Simon Prebble

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Larger-than-life characters, and an epic plot brimming with the energy of his internationally-acclaimed thrillers make Ken Follett's A Place Called Freedom an experience not to be missed. This lush novel-set in 1766 England and America-evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines, while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the western frontier-if they're brave enough to take it. Spanning two continents and bringing together an unforgettable cast of heroes, villains, and rebels, A Place Called Freedom is a magnificent epic of love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Narrator Simon Prebble's masterful use of voice and pacing captures a vivid cast of characters, and the powerful destiny that shapes their lives.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 7, 2015
    ISBN9781490671611
    A Place Called Freedom
    Author

    Ken Follett

    Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can.

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    Reviews for A Place Called Freedom

    4/5

    577 ratings22 reviews

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    • 5/5
      It was written superbly, a classic in the making. The historical perspective not only brought knowledge of the times and struggles. It provided a political perspective to the present day polarizing opinions, social struggles and individual struggles. It told of miner’s rebelling and greedy aristocracy and business men. Loyalists and early America. While I felt I learned much, it was the entertainment, action, romance, flowing gracefully from start to end. I loved it. Jim Kirk-wiggins.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Well written and well narrated. My first book by this author. As others have commented it is a bit heavy on the romance, but done well. Overall, a good book, well written, and enjoyable. Definitely worth a listen.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Master storyteller, Ken Follett, takes us from the Jamisson family coal mines in the Scottish Highlands to the shipping industry in London and onto the Virginia tobacco fields of colonial America with a powerful story of love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Mack McAsh and Lizzie Hallim are searching for A Place Called Freedom amid a cast of heroes and villains, lovers, and rebels, hypocrites, hell-raisers, and whores. With well-developed characters and a plot with twists and turns, I found the book unputdownable. I look forward to my next Follett book and I would recommend this one to those who love historical adventure.
    • 5/5
      excellent read. shows clear contrast in caste systems and a real page turner. Charecters are strong and entertaining.
    • 3/5
      Interesting on coal mining and Virginia plantations as well as the transatlantic voyage for convicts (less so for gentry). The love story is predictable, sex scenes steamy, characters almost caricatures, but still fun to listen to.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful book. All the way from Scotland to America. So brave. !! So well written!!
    • 4/5
      A story of one man fighting against all odds to be free.. just when he thinks he's made it, someone or something takes his freedom away...

      A good read, definitely looking at other Follett novels to read in the future.
    • 5/5
      The story of a Scott enslaved to work on a coal mine who escapes seeking freedom. In the course of his adventures he falls on and out of love. Finally be pursues the Noble daughter of a landowner. He ends up in Virginia where both are pursuing dreams. She has to deal with a small minded spendthrift husband. Much detail that brings life to the narrative. White slavery is a reminder that slavery is no respecter of color.
    • 2/5
      The history the storyline follows is intriguing - in 1767 a Scottish coal miner learns he was not born a slave and continues to question and disrupt the existing power structures around him (reflecting the lower populaces' sentiments) as he journeys to London (coal-heaver offloading ships), Virginia (indentured convict on a tobacco plantation), and finally over the Cumberland Gap to a life in service of what he chooses. But the caliber of writing makes me hesitant to read another work by Follett.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read another Scottish tale to compare the experience against the Outlander that's back in vogue. I've been reading that series and thought of this book which is set in the same time period (1700) and I like Ken Follett's historical fiction. So I read A Place Called Freedom.

      The biggest difference in the experience was the story's voice. I found Ken Follett's writing to be more formal. Though he presents a good image of the characters, time period, and unique human scenes, the prose doesn't touch the heart as deeply. In that regard, Outlander shines a higher score.

      This does not mean it's not worth the time reading - it is a good book. The story did tug on my heart, especially the scenes that showed the horrid treatment of the people back then, the miners, and even children. As a mother of four reading the sections, where they were shipped off as 'indentured slaves' and when working in the mine, moved me. I am very thankful things have changed.

      The two strong protagonists, Lizzie & Mac have stories that weave together in and out until the final conclusion. They find what they had been searching for - freedom. The storyline has a love relationship that develops over years, a great villain in the character Jay, and lots of confrontation and obstacles to overcome.

      If you want not only historical fiction, but also action adventure and romance, then this book's a wise choice to read.
    • 4/5
      This book has been languishing on my shelves for years, but having read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, I was looking for more Ken Follett to read and rediscovered this one. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read the other two first, as it had so much unrealised potential. There was so much more I wanted to know and the story ended just as I felt it was getting started. Overall a good book, but read it before moving on to the more epic stories.
    • 5/5
      Very good read, enjoyed it tremendously.
    • 5/5
      This is my favorite Follett yet, but mostly because i really like the historical period that he is writing about. Again, another strong female heroine and complicated characters. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was too short... I was upset that it was over!
    • 4/5
      Good story, good characters, well written. It's Ken Follett, what else can I say? Off course it is not 'Pillars', but this book is certainly a good read. I nice epic story about the interlinked lives of two people, spanning two countries, and with plenty of historical accounts mixed in.
    • 4/5
      One of my favorite books.
    • 4/5
      E-book - Wow another great one by Follett - A wonderful story that flows so easily. The only complaint that I have is that some of his books have a very similar story line but I enjoy reading them anyway.
    • 3/5
      This wasn't a bad read at all - the story moved along at a cracking pace, and there was plenty of action. The trouble was, having read Follett's two medieval offerings - Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, this felt a bit lacking in depth by comparison.
    • 2/5
      This is not one of Follett's best efforts. It's strictly a by the numbers historical soap opera with paper thin characters and an obvious plot. I did enjoy the description of the mining life Scotland and the justice system in London.
    • 4/5
      While not as strong a piece of historical fiction as something by John Jakes or even Diana Gabaldon, Follett does a great job of keeping the pages turning. This kept me reading, even if some of the events have a slight reek of "we have got to stop meeting like this!". Mack is not your typical serf, nor is Lizzie your typical lady.
    • 3/5
      I've never read a lot of Ken Follett's work. His two historical fiction novels, World Without End and Pillars of the Earth picqued my interest and led me to delve a little deeper into his earlier efforts. I must say after reading this novel that I was quite disappointed. A Place Called Freedom is at best quite mediocre. There is virtually nothing to recommend it above hundreds of other similar books. There were flashes of interest concerning mining conditions and southern plantation practices in the mid-18th century, but by and large it was utterly unremarkable. Hard working, ambitious, intelligent Scottish miner, spends 400 pages being attracted to a young open minded highly sexed heiress both in Scotland and over seas in pre-revolutionary America. I wonder how it ends?
    • 4/5
      Good epic story and characters
    • 3/5
      Novel/Drama, nice read