THE HERETIC'S WIFE

Davina Porter’s crisp British accent brings turbulent 1528 England to life through the lives of bookseller and printer Kate Gough and her husband, John Frith. He translates classical languages into English, a dangerous occupation. These forbidden translations bring the couple into the conflict between Catholicism and Reformation England, which is brewing as King Henry VIII seeks to divorce Katherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Porter’s quiet delivery heightens the tension in the illicit trade in English Bibles and the increasingly violent conflict between religious factions. Listeners interested in sixteenth-century England or the history of printing the Bible will be especially enthralled by Porter’s polished and fluid narration. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2010]