Emma's Secret: A Novel of the Harte Family

Written by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Narrated by Kate Burton

The legendary Emma Harte, heroine of A Woman of Substance, returns in Emma's Secret, an audiobook that showcases the storytelling power of Barbara Taylor Bradford.

Paula O'Neill, beloved granddaughter of Emma Harte and the guardian of her vast business empire, believes that everything Emma left to the family is secure. However, beneath the surface, sibling rivalry and discontent flare. Linnet and Tessa, her daughters, are as different as two women can be. One of them wants desperately for the empire to be hers but has a devastating secret that may put her very life in danger.

Into this volatile mix walks Evan Hughes, a young American fashion designer who is looking for Emma Harte. But Emma has been dead for thirty years. And Evan bears an uncanny resemblance to Paula O'Neill. Troubled by Evan's presence, Paula turns to her grandmother's recently discovered wartime diaries to find the truth, and Emma comes vividly back to life.

The decades fall away. It is London in 1940: the Blitz. Emma, working hard under war-time conditions, is also holding her family together as bombs drop, sirens wail, and her sons go off to war. While she struggles with grief, her indomitability, willpower, and strength come to the fore. As the pages unfurl, Paula discovers the secret Emma took to the grave to protect others, a secret whose repercussions inevitably change lives and may shake a dynasty to its very foundations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jan 6, 2004
• ISBN: 9781593973988

Barbara Taylor Bradford

Barbara Taylor Bradford was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, and was a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post at sixteen. By the age of twenty she had graduated to London's Fleet Street as both an editor and columnist. In 1979, she wrote her first novel, A Woman of Substance, and that enduring bestseller was followed by 12 others: Voice of the Heart, Hold the Dream, Act of Will, To Be the Best, The Women in His Life, Remember, Angel, Everything to Gain, Dangerous to Know, Love in Another Town, Her Own Rules and A Secret Affair. Of these titles, ten have been made into television miniseries or are currently in production. Her novels have sold more than 56 million copies worldwide in more than 88 countries and 38 languages. Barbara Taylor Bradford lives in New York City and Connecticut with her husband, film producer Robert Bradford.

Reviews for Emma's Secret

[caropg_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First, a confesion, by accident I bought the 5th bookof this saga (Unexpected Blessings) without knowning that it was a saga. They kept mentioning past events, but since they talked about it I was able to enjoy the book without reading the precedent books. However,in a recent sale of my local library I saw Emma's secret and thought,well that's the same author of that book I liked. Well was I in for a surprise!.Anyway, Emma's secret is the fourth book of the Emma Harte's saga, (The first book is A woman of substance,and I already reserved it from the library) It continues the story of the Harte family, a wealthy family from England,that got the emporium stablished by hard working. I will not give the details, because I don't want you knowing the end details like I did. But praise to the author!. The descriptions of the scenary are gorgeous. Also, and this part I loved, is the way she describes all the dresses :). I am a girl after all. But I believe the construction of the characters is delightful, you can actually get carried on their lifes, going trough the pages to know what's happening know.I find it funny how she "writes" the accents, the way people who are from outside London would talk, I'm not sure if I liked it, but I sure find it easier to build the characters in my head with this.I hope you enjoy the book, I specially lkied Linnet and Tessa as characters, opposite as they may be. As for Evan...I think her character could be stronger, but at the same time I guess is that fragility that makes her lovable trough the book. Now, Paula is a strong character, a determined mother that would do anything necessary to protect her bussiness and most importantly her family.

[soosthemoose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the first three books in the series and this is a nice continuation.

[nancy5jean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A continuing of the Emma Harte sage--she just keeps living on thru all of these related characters--I love Emma--the whole idea of her

[raggedtig · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Not impressed in the least with this book. Characters popped up out of nowhere, the storyline was dry, and I just lacked any kind of care at all for any of these characters. The climax of the story was the biggest disappointment. You figure that Bradford builds you up so much on who the father is going to be just to find out that it's someone that hasn't been mentioned in this novel until the last few pages. Horrible.