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    Virgin Earth: A Novel
    Virgin Earth: A Novel
    Virgin Earth: A Novel
    Audiobook25 hours

    Virgin Earth: A Novel

    Written by Philippa Gregory

    Narrated by David Thorpe

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    About this audiobook

    In this enthralling, freestanding sequel to Earthly Joys, New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory combines a wealth of gardening knowledge with a haunting love story that spans two continents and two cultures, making Virgin Earth a tour de force of revolutionary politics and passionate characters.

    As England descends into civil war, John Tradescant the Younger, gardener to King Charles I, finds his loyalties in question, his status an ever-growing danger to his family. Fearing royal defeat and determined to avoid serving the rebels, John escapes to the royalist colony of Virginia, a land bursting with fertility that stirs his passion for botany. Only the native American peoples understand the forest, and John is drawn to their way of life just as they come into fatal conflict with the colonial settlers. Torn between his loyalty to his country and family and his love for a Powhatan girl who embodies the freedom he seeks, John has to find himself before he is prepared to choose his direction in the virgin land.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateDec 11, 2018
    ISBN9781508259664
    Author

    Philippa Gregory

    Philippa Gregory is an internationally renowned author of historical novels. She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from the University of Edinburgh. Works that have been adapted for television include A Respectable Trade, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool. The Other Boleyn Girl is now a major film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. Philippa Gregory lives in the North of England with her family.

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    Reviews for Virgin Earth

    4/5

    181 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Although I normally read books quite quickly, I stretched out my reading of this one over a few days. The vividly portrayed Renaissance England setting, the complex, familiar characters, and the interesting, steady flow of the plot line made me want to stay in this story longer than I usually do with others.“Earthly Joys” is about John Tradescant, a gardener in the time of King James I. While other men entwine themselves in politics and charge eagerly off to war, John is content to nurture seedlings, discover new plants, and watch his beloved trees grow along with his life. John ends up becoming the loyal personal servant of George Villiers, the young and handsome Duke of Buckingham, and the king's favorite. As the years slip by, John sacrifices his family and his life for his master, viewing him at different times as a son, a brother, a friend, and a lover. I just loved this story! There was so much complexity, so many undercurrents, so many sub-plots. Though I have certainly heard more than a few complaints about the historical accuracy of Philippa Gregory's works, this one in particular, I found this to be a very well written book. First of all, the way that Gregory writes is just lovely. She captures everything so perfectly. Some authors write their books with a poetic beauty, some with a touch of appreciated humor, some with drama, some with characters you can't help loving, but Gregory seems to mix a bit of all these together into a writing style that just compels you to keep reading. I had to struggle to put the book down, or not read so quickly as I normally do, because despite wanting to savor this book, I also felt compelled to tear through it in one sitting.I read a review on the back cover of another of her books that said no one has mastered Renaissance England like Philippa Gregory. I don't know if I would go so far as to put her at the absolute top, but she has definitely mastered this setting. I just absolutely LOVE books that fully transport you to another time and place, and this book certainly succeeds with that. The only parts that I felt a lack of a setting were when John travels the world – to India, Asia, Russia, and France. Surprisingly, there is a very large lack of placement here. After being so sharply introduced to the sights and smells of England, it was a bit startling to suddenly be whisked off to another country – even if a similar one, such as France – and have no descriptions of a setting at all. In these scenes, the author focuses on John himself, his botany, and other things that are going on in the plot. But the scenery is left a mystery, something that I felt extremely odd, considering how good Gregory is at that.All of the characters in “Earthly Joys” and wonderful. John is a simple man, and yet, we see into his thoughts and actions so deeply that he becomes a complex, and essentially a very realistically ordinary, yet interesting man. The relationship between him and his wife was an extremely well written one, and though there was no great love story, Gregory combined fondness, duty, love, resentment, and guilt into a very believable marriage. George Villiers was another of my favorite characters. Or at least, another of the most well written characters – I hated him! Excessively arrogant, reckless, selfish, and – the reader is led to believe – a traitor and a murder. Something about this book that I was not expecting was how sexual it was. Gregory makes no attempt to hide all of the homosexual alliances, affairs, and romances going on at the time – in fact, she makes good use of them and even has John take a male lover as well.All of the characters, settings, politics, and events in this book were very well written. I am looking forward to reading Gregory's new book, due out in August.
    • 3/5
      It was interesting to read about the intricacies regarding gardening for royalty, but the plot lines outside of that were rather operatic.
    • 4/5
      I love Philippa Gregory. She's gifted writer and has the wonderful ability to make her characters come alive. I think there's a sequel to this story so I'm going to look it up!
    • 2/5
      Not as captivating as her other works. We get to see how Charles' reign affected England through Tradescant the gardener. There is a lot of information on plants, flowers, and trees. And the information of the stock market of tulips is fascinating too.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Phillipa Gregory book, and I am hooked! I love historical fiction and I love this setting and time period. The book is a "biography" of John Tradescant, a talented and sought after gardener. The book follows John's life as he creates and tends fabulous gardens, works for various noble and royal houses, marries, travels, goes to war for his country, and more. The details are wonderful. I did not read this book straight through, as it is not a "page turner", but I really enjoyed picking it up and escaping into the life of someone else for a time
    • 4/5
      Another wonderful book written by Philippa Gregory, This is a story of the historical account of England in the 17th Century as told through the words and work of the Royal Gardener, who is very much involved in the lives of the King and his advisers. Interesting and fun reading for those who enjoy British history be it historical fiction or factual. Philippa Gregory never disappoints me. I learned much as I follow John Tradescant in his quest for rare and exotic flora to bring to the King's grand gardens.
    • 4/5
      This was the book that started me on historical fiction; because it was gardening-related, I thought I'd give it a try. The result was that I found a whole new genre that I enjoyed.
    • 3/5
      Well written and well researced. Perhaps it's unfair bt I was put off by Tradescant's persistent wrong-headedness.
    • 4/5
      This book mixes great storytelling with a brief education on 17th Century England, definitely a great time to read about. The writing was a little bit florid and I think sounded a bit contrived, but I loved reading about gardening, something which I never would have imagined, as much as I loved reading about corrupt government: some things never change!Another thing which I was a bit weird about was the blind loyalty the gardener had to the monarchy. I know that many people did (maybe even still do) have such servile patriotism to their government, but it's something I could never imagine, and frustrated me to no end!Oh, and the title, as well as several scenes throughout the book, read like book porn.
    • 5/5
      While mysteries and suspense are my favourite genres, I do enjoy historical fiction as well. I've often had patrons at the library recommend Philippa Gregory to me. Earthly Joys is the first book I've read by Gregory.Earthly Joys opens in 1603 with the death of Queen Elizabeth and the succession of her cousin King James VI of Scotland - the beginning the Stuart reign of England. Earthly Joys is written through the eyes of and life of gardener John Tradescant. It was only on further investigation that I learned that Tradescant is an actual historical figure. He was gardener to the aristocracy , a traveler, a collector and much, much more.Gregory's research is detailed and her fictionalization of Tradescant's life is fascinating. He is a strong personality, but loyalty, honour and duty drive the decisions in his life. I quite liked him to begin with, but found my opinion often changed as his life progressed. And that was true of many of the characters, including his wife Elizabeth and son John. They are not as mercurial as John the Elder, but I applauded their views, beliefs and hopes for a different society. There are some particularly vile characters - notably the Duke of Buckingham.Tradescant's love of plants and trees and his skills are so vividly depicted that I felt I could 'see' his garden. Rich detail is woven throughout Gregory's narrative clearly illustrating both time and place.Now, this isn't a time period I would normally gravitate to, but I chose to listen to Earthly Joys, which made a huge difference. I felt drawn into the story, could make sense of what political machinations were afoot and the characters sprang to life for me.The reader was David Rintoul and he was absolutely wonderful. He has a powerful voice and uses it well. He captured the character of John the Elder perfectly, using his voice to interpret Gregory's work and bring it life. His tones are rich and sonorous with a lovely gravelly undertone. He uses a softer tone for the female players that works just as well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He matches his voice to the tenor of the tale. Listen to an excerpt of Earthly Joys.Earthly Joys covers the whole of John the Elder's life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Tradescant story continues in a sequel titled Virgin Earth with John the Younger taking the lead role.
    • 3/5
      Another very well researched historical novel that teaches as you read and are entertained. The main character is a royal gardener in England during the reign of King James. I had no idea the gardens were so elaborately planned - at each castle! I was continually amazed, and grew to love the characters.Will read again.
    • 4/5
      John Tradescant was a real man, an extraordinary gardening pioneer and collector who transformed the English landscape by the introduction of trees and plants which we now take for granted. This fictional account of his life gives some idea of his background, the times and society in which he lived, and of his legacy - including his Collection which formed the basis for the Ashmoleon Museum in Oxford, and which should in my opinion have really been named after Tradescant.
    • 5/5
      If your a gardener this is a great book.
    • 5/5
      I think this has been my favorite book by Gregory so far. Just a fabulous read. I loved it. I just absolutely loved it. And the setting, and the history, the story, all woven together in such a fine way.I was sad to see it end honestly. I think Gregory is an amazing writing and the stories she creates just draw me into them.
    • 2/5
      Not one of my favourite Phillipa Gregory books, lots of pages and little writing.... i found it very slow and repetitive with not much of a storyline.
    • 3/5
      I've never met a Philippa Gregory book I haven't liked and for the most part it's still true about Virgin Earth. I really enjoyed it right up until the last few pages. I found the ending deeply unsatisfying.
    • 5/5
      John Tradescant was a Gardener to King Charles I. He also collected rare and unusual items to put on display at his home. When the King started a war with parliment, his loyalties were divided. John traveled to Jamestown, Virginia, his second wife and childen stayed in England to take care of his gardens and rarities. In Virginia, he collected new and unusual plants to sell back home in England. He tried to live in Jamestown, he bought land, and married an indian woman. Life became to hard, eventually he went back to England. I learned a lot about all different kinds of plants and how they took care of them in 1638. They used glass domes over melon plants to protect them from the weather. They brushed snow off of new trees to keep the branches from freezing and breaking. Little tidbits like that made the story more interesting
    • 5/5
      Following Earthly Joys, this Historical account of England in the 17th Century has moved on to the son of the Royal Gardener, who, despite his desire to not become embroiled in the dangerous and violent happenings in England at the time, find himself just as caught up in the lives of the King and his advisers. Interesting and fun reading for history buffs, as well as gardeners as they follow John Tradescant the younger in England and then to America in his quest for rare and exotic flora to bring to the King's gardens. Very good reading.
    • 5/5
      The Tradescant's family story interweaves with the demise of Charles I and the Cromwellian interlude. She is a very good writer of history and I'm looking forward to reading her next historical novel. I thought it was so good Ibought a copy for my mother-in-law and sent it to her.
    • 2/5
      I just couldn't get into this book so I returned it to the library.