To Hear a Nightingale [Paperback]

Charlotte Bingham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1989

A saga of country life in America and Ireland in the 1950s follows the fortunes of Cassie, whose childhood makes her more familiar with stigma and rejection than happiness. The loss of her second child and her husband are just some of the hurdles she must cross bofore she can return home in triumph.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The anguish inflicted on a child by a sadistic relative, and the excitement of high-stakes horse racing, are the main themes in this compelling novel by the British author of numerous TV plays (including Upstairs, Downstairs ). Raised by her diabolically cruel grandmother in New Hampshire during the 1940s, well-behaved orphan Cassie McGann endures beatings, insults and a generally miserable existence. A kindly neighbor's home provides occasional refuge, but the girl can evade Grandmother's malice only briefly; the spiteful old woman sends her to a snobbish private school in West Virginia, where spoiled, narcissistic Leonora Von Wagner becomes Cassie's new classmate and tormentor. Victimization fails to destroy Cassie's courage, however, and she finds fulfillment years later by marrying horse trainer Tyrone Rosse. At their sprawling farm in Ireland, the Rosses struggle to train winners in thoroughbred racing, while the indefatigable Leonora labors to thwart them. Effective ly conveying her characters' triumphs and heartbreaks, Bingham excels in her portrayal of Cassie's venomous grandmother and in stunning, climactic scenes at the Epsom Derby.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Young Cassie McCann suffers greatly at the hands of a sadistic grandmother during her childhood in a small New England town. Her miserable existence is ameliorated by her love of horses, a passion that leads Cassie to the male-dominated world of horse breeding, training, and racing in Ireland. The novel owes a debt to this solid, fascinating tale of abuse, for it is this excellent beginning that keeps the reader's interest when later elements of the story prove less credible or less tautly woven; two examples are Cassie's long-standing feud with a former schoolmate and a sadomasochistic encounter with a Frenchman. To Hear a Nightingale would certainly have been a better novel if this earlier quality could have been maintained. For larger public libraries.
- Lydia Burruel Johnson, Mesa P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books (July 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553176358
• ISBN-13: 978-0553176353
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,519,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Touching Story, June 12, 2000

By 

Jennifer Vincent (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Hear a Nightingale (Hardcover)

This is one of my most favorite books. I have read it over and over again and never tire of it. The book takes you through the life of a young girl, from childhood until she is an old woman. She faces many obstacles in her life, and several tragedies, and she perseveres and overcomes them. The book is set in New York and later, in Ireland. I don't want to write much more about the story itself - I just have to say that women should read this. I just love it. I had my mom read it, and she also loved it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Currently reading, October 20, 2000

By 

Krista Hutchins (nb, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Hear a Nightingale (Paperback)

I found this book at a local flea market we had over the summer. To say the least it's now becomming one of the best books i've read. I'm 3/4 of the way through the book and can hardly put it down:) Charlotte Bingham does a great job with Cassie, Joel, Jo, and Mattie.

Horse racing with a heroine and a love story all rolled into one:) A Champion Horse who's kidnapped and then gelded. The main character Cassie - A woman in a mans world (horse racing) who's threatened when she keeps her home bred horse in training and then has it kidnapped only to find it gelded and her hopes crushed. Joel - an artist who falls in love with Cassie and helps her uncover the mystery surrounding The Nightengale's kidnapping. He ends up helping his father put an end to his life and ends up in prison for it.

I'm not gonna tell ya anymore:) you've gotta read the book!:) trust me you won't want to set it down:)

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An English find, March 6, 2001

By 

Jimi Jo Story (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Hear a Nightingale (Paperback)

I found this book while traveling abroad this summer - since coming back to the States it has been impossible to find anything by Charlotte Bingham. Please take the time to read this story - you will find it enchanting! Also wonderful is Debutantes by Charlotte Bingham.