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Scent of Cloves  By  cover art

Scent of Cloves

By: Norah Lofts
Narrated by: Gráinne Gillis
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Publisher's summary

Julia Ashley was born to a life of dramatic twists and tragedy. Her future and any possible lasting happiness depended entirely on a "glove marriage" to a man who was no more than a name.

The Dutch East Indies in the 17th century were the lands of legendary riches; of "nutmeg princes"; of fortunes built on barbaric plantations and slavery. And amid the extravagance, the cruelty and the bizarre customs, perhaps the strangest events of all were the curious weddings that sent girls halfway around the world to husbands they had never seen.

Julia took her "glove" - of yellow, pearl-sewn silk - and began the journey to the island of Rua, to a land of seeming paradise where nothing was exactly as it appeared.

©2012 Clive Lofts (P)2015 Soundings

What listeners say about Scent of Cloves

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    3 out of 5 stars

Great listen BUT crucial chapter missing

This is a lovely romantic tale set in 1600s Indonesia when the Dutch had a monopoly on the clove and nutmeg trade. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and the narrator was great BUT there's a crucial section missing. I checked with the Kindle Unlimited print version and it's just not there.

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Not one of Norah Lofts best works

Though Lofts is one of my favorite authors, I was disappointed with this book.
The story plodded along until well through half of the book when it finally picked up. It was tedious until then.
I found the narrator off-putting too. I don't know why a woman with an obvious Irish rogue was chosen to perform an audiobook where most of the characters were Dutch. Except for a short prologue that took place in Ireland. And even in that part most of the main characters were English.
Aside from the rogue, the paragraphs of exposition sounded flat. I think it was equal parts the way the words were read, and that this particular novel was dull in a lot of spots.
I probably will not reread this book as I have done with everything else I have read by Norah Lofts.

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