Whispering [Hardcover]

Jane Aiken Hodge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 1995

Set against the vivid background of the Peninsular War, this novel tells the story of a young woman's search for truth and independence in a society which wants to deny her both.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran author Hodge (Escapade) keeps this deft historical romance set in 19th-century Portugal moving at a crisp pace. Summoned from safety in England by her cruel and dour father, Caterina Gomez?half-British, half-Portuguese, in her late teens?is escorted to tumultuous Oporto, Portugal, by her cousin Jeremy Craddock and a female friend. Against a mise-en-scene of war and intrigue involving French, Portuguese and British forces, the three become enmeshed in romantic and political adventure. Jeremy is enthralled by a shady American masseuse while Caterina, who's soon threatened with life in a convent, naively agrees to gather information for rebel leader Luis Sanchez, with whom she had an affair at age 13. Meanwhile, the Duke of Wellington is to be the honored guest at a planned gala for Caterina, who has been told by Luis's grandmother not to trust her grandson. Though the narrative and characterization are occasionally sketchy, Hodge builds the tension to a dramatic (if not surprising) denouement and ably resolves all the story lines in time for a subtle ending.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: John Murray Publishers Ltd (April 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719555531
• ISBN-13: 978-0719555534
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,311,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the best of the author's works, April 28, 2010

By 

real-life momma "R. Klempner" (L.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whispering (Paperback)

I have mixed feelings about Jane Aiken Hodges' books, but this one I liked immensely. You are captured by the characters, intrigued by their mysterious pasts, and want to know what will happen next to them. You really root for them. I also found all the detail about that setting (200 years ago in Portugal) fascinating.

2.0 out of 5 stars Romantic suspense lite (very lite), August 13, 2011

By 

Michele - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whispering (Paperback)

Whispering is a novel set in early 19th century Portugal, as Caterina Gomez, her friend Harriet and her cousin Jeremy travel from England to the city of Porto. Caterina has been summoned by her father back from exile in an English convent, her friend Harriet comes along as a "chaperone" and to escape an unhappy life of her own, and Jeremy is going to seek treatment from a "healer" for his falling sickness (epilepsy).

Almost from page one it is evident that none of these characters are quite what they seem, as they each have hidden agendas and secrets to hide. That situation is compounded once they reach Porto, a city rife with tension as Napoleon and Wellington wage their battles closer and closer to Portugal's borders. Here the cast of characters is expanded and, again, each is obviously not quite what they seem. The city of Porto is insular (and particularly its English community), with everyone suspicious of everyone else, and gossip travels faster than the speed of light. Caterina very quickly discovers that life in the controlling household of her father is even more restricted and oppressive than at the convent back in England. Nevertheless, this headstrong, feisty and outspoken young woman soon gets herself wrapped up in the dangerous intrigue that is everywhere in the city.

At only 215 pages, I knew there probably wouldn't be a lot of depth to the story. Even so, the detachment I felt from the characters (who were all one-dimensional, or two-dimensional at the most) was disappointing. Both the romance and the suspense were very tepid, and the climactic scene was particularly weak; it was too melodramatic and having the Duke of Wellington step into save the heroine was more than a little contrived.

This wasn't a terrible book, just a very unremarkable one. It was my first by Jane Aiken Hodge and will likely be my last, since I wasn't impressed enough to want to try any more of her books.