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Overcome with grief at her husband's death, Lady Franklin, an eligible young widow, unburdens herself to Leadbitter - a gallant, hard-bitten ex-soldier who has invested his savings in the car he drives for hire - as he takes her on a series of journeys. He in turn beguiles her with stories of his non-existent wife and children, drawing her out of her self-absorption and weaving a dream-life with Lady Franklin at its heart. Half-hoping to make his dream come true, Leadbitter takes a bold, not to say reckless, step which costs him dearly, and brings these characters' tangled story to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion. With the same quality and beauty of writing found in The Go-Between, The Hireling's nuanced portrayal of post-war England holds a poignant narrative on loneliness and redemption.
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Reviews
"Nicholas Boulton's narration makes L.P. Hartley's discursive novel about difficult class relations and thwarted love more involving than it might otherwise be. He gives each character a distinctive voice, ably indicating gender and class. Most engaging is the main character, Leadbitter, a tough WWI vet, brawler, misogynist, and chauffeur for hire, who has a gravelly voice and a working-class accent. Boulton's pacing is perfect (i.e., imperceptible), and he provides just the right level of acting for the performance of a novel, as opposed to a play. He also excels at dialogue that is bound by description and narration. He even enhances the omniscient narrator's sometimes lengthy discourses. Overall, his one-man performance might be better than the material merits. W.M. � AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine"
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