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The Heart of the Ritz by Luke Devenish
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The Heart of the Ritz

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Narrator Jennifer Vuletic

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Length 16 hours 3 minutes
Language English
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France, April 1940. Orphan Polly Hartford has been sent across oceans to her Aunt Marjorie, known only from letters. When Marjorie dies in suspicious circumstances, Polly is left with her aunt’s loaded pistol in a beautiful Hermès handbag ... and to the care of Marjorie’s three closest friends: an elegant Comtesse, a gutter-born film star and a big-hearted American heiress.

Polly is taken to live at the Hôtel Ritz, where guests and staff believe wealth and prestige protect them from war. But when the Nazis invade, the illusion is shattered. As Paris deteriorates, Polly and her guardians face the horrors of the Occupation with daring, humour, style – even romance – and despite their dangerous secrets, they discover just what they are capable of.

As the Liberation approaches, those who survive at the Ritz must face a day of reckoning, but one truth stands tall: at the heart of the Ritz is the soul of resistance.

Luke Devenish is a scriptwriter, novelist, playwright and lecturer. Head Writer with Neighbours from 2001 to 2007, he worked in key creative roles including Script Producer, Story Editor and Supervising Script Editor. He oversaw well over 1,500 episode scripts for the iconic Aussie soap. Previously, Luke was Script Executive on Something in the Air and, with ABC TV Drama, worked in the writing and development of SeaChange, RAW FM and others. Before working in the television industry, Luke was a playwright, with productions of his work staged by Playbox, the Adelaide Festival, the Sydney Festival and NIDA. A graduate of Curtin University's Creative Writing stream, Luke studied fiction under Elizabeth Jolley and Tim Winton. He regularly teaches story editing and screenwriting for the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

Jennifer Vuletic is an Australian actress, singer and NIDA graduate from the class of 1984. She has enjoyed a varied career travelling all over Australia and the world, and has toured internationally with the hit show Mamma Mia!, playing the role of Tanya. She also performed in Menopause The Musical, The Women of Troy and Jerry Springer: The Opera. She has recorded audiobooks for over 24 years and has won numerous awards for her narrations, including the Trish Trinick Award for Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things.

Audiobook details

Author:

Narrator:
Jennifer Vuletic

ISBN:
9780655620204

Length:
16 hours 3 minutes

Language:
English

Publisher:
Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Publication date:

Edition:
Unabridged

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Indie Bookshop Appreciation Sale

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Reviews

'Luke Devenish is a master of the dramatic cliffhanger.’ This wartime story set in Paris starts in 1940 and ends after the city's liberation. Listeners will enjoy hearing narrator Jennifer Vuletic portray the denizens of the swanky Ritz Hotel during those dark days. The plot revolves around a 16-year-old Australian girl who becomes the ward of three quirky, stylish, and good-hearted women, all living in the glamorous hotel. Vuletic excels at making the odd assortment of wealthy women seem real. One hears the elegant French countess, with her refined diction; the less-than-genteel film star, who has a raspy timbre like that of someone on drugs; and the American heiress, whose loud and brassy voice features an exaggerated but authentic American accent. Other characters are distinctive as well. This warm account places listeners in a world of fashion, danger, and intrigue. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2019] Expand reviews
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