Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
A Loving Family cover art

A Loving Family

By: Dilly Court
Narrated by: Penelope Freeman
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Fortune's Daughter cover art
The River Maid cover art
Nettie’s Secret cover art
The Christmas Wedding cover art
Rag-and-Bone Christmas cover art
The Reluctant Heiress cover art
A Thimble for Christmas cover art
Dilly's Sacrifice cover art
The Waterfront Lass cover art
The Long Walk Home cover art
The Mill Girl cover art
A Mother's Shame cover art
The Sixpenny Orphan cover art
The Doorstep Girls cover art
The Hungry Tide cover art
Silver Wishes cover art

Summary

She longed to be reunited with her family. The compelling new novel from the Sunday Times top ten best-selling author of The Workhouse Girl.

Eleven-year-old Stella Barry is forced into service when her family find themselves living hand-to-mouth. Leaving her mother and younger brother and sister behind, Stella goes to a big country house outside London. When she returns home one Sunday, she discovers they have disappeared. Thrown out of their lodgings, no one knows where they have gone.

Seven years later it looks likely Stella will soon become Cook. But circumstances compel her to flee with no references and only a few personal possessions to her name.She has never forgotten her loving family and is determined to find out what happened to them – once and for all.

©2013 Dilly Court (P)2014 Magna Publishing, Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about A Loving Family

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    58
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good.

I enjoyed this audio book very much. I hope to listen to more by this author

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Story-tear jerker

Would you consider the audio edition of A Loving Family to be better than the print version?

I don't like print versions of anything especially this because as you listen to the story it takes you in your mind into the story, you can almost see what's happening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Loving Family?

When Stella met the gentleman that helped her as a child and then turned out to continue helping her as she grew older in different positions.

Which character – as performed by Penelope Freeman – was your favourite?

The young chap that you imagined looked very much younger and looked shorter in height than he actually was but very helpful even if he couldn't accomplish what was being asked of him.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When we found out that Kit was a man not a woman and also that he refused to get a job to keep his sister and look after her.

Any additional comments?

A must listen and be prepared to have a hanky to hand.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story will there be a sequel

I couldn’t stop listening the story was brought to life by the narration all the characters came to life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic listen from begining to end

loved all of the book from begining to the end right riviting storyline couldn't put it down

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another brilliant Dilly Court Story

The narrator was excellent every character had a different sound. The story was gripping I just wanted to keep listening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

when Stella finds her family missing

when Stella finds her family missing she sets out to find out what happened to them will she find her loving family

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Loved every moment of this. Story telling at it's best. Narration could not have been better.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not the best Dilly Court I have read.

Where does A Loving Family rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A reasonable story with great narration. The first half of the book was very enjoyable and I wanted to keep reading.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration is brilliant. The story starts off a bit strange but develops well.

What does Penelope Freeman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Penelope brings each character to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I thought I might want to keep listening but towards the end of the book I was beginning to feel frustration as the story lines became too predictable and far fetched. It did spoil the story for me and I found my concentration wandering. I

Any additional comments?

This will not prevent me from trying more Dilly Court as previous reads have been very good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great story with good historical references

My last 5 books have been by Dilly Court and I am just about to search for my next. I am so glad I discovered her. This is the first time I have heard this narrator and I thought that she would not be as good as Annie Aldington but Penelope Freeman was excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!