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Nightingale #1

Lakstīgalas dziesma

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Šarlote Binghema (1942) ir viena no talantīgākajām mūsdienu angļu rakstniecēm, daudzu romānu, lugu un televīzijas filmu scenāriju autore. Binghemas unikālās stāstnieces spējas apliecina viņas darbu pastāvīgā atrašanās literatūras bestselleru sarakstos.
„Lakstīgalas dziesma” ir bezgala emocionāls romāns par jaunas meitenes mīlestību, par attiecībām, cīņu pret sabiedrības stereotipiem, un sevis apzināšanās sāpīgo ceļu.
Kesija Megana, nokļuvusi Ņujorkā, kaislīgi iemīlas izskatīgajā sacīkšu zirgu trenerī Tīronā Rosā. Viņi apprecas un pārceļas uz dzīvi Īrijā. Kesijas dzīve šķiet laimīga un harmoniska, taču tad Amerikas mazpilsētas meitene pamazām saprot, cik patiesībā sveša viņai ir nežēlīgā zirgu sacīkšu pasaule, kurā valda nauda un vīrieši. Kesijai nākas no jauna iepazīt mīļoto Tīronu, kura panākumi ir atkarīgi no bagātnieku kaprīzēm... Notiek traģēdija, un dzīves groži draud izslīdēt no Kesijas rokām. Taču viņa nepadodas, bet cīnās par vietu zem saules, par savu dzīvi un mīlestību...

728 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

9 people are currently reading
209 people want to read

About the author

Charlotte Bingham

75 books74 followers
The Honourable Charlotte Mary Thérèse Bingham was born on 29 June 1942 in Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, UK. Her father, John Bingham, the 7th Baron Clanmorris, wrote detective stories and was a secret member of MI5. Her mother, Madeleine Bingham, née Madeleine Mary Ebel, was a playwright. Charlotte first attended a school in London, but from the age of seven to 16, she went to the Priory of Our Lady's Good Counsel school in Haywards Heath. After she left school, she went to stay in Paris with some French aristocrats with the intention of learning French. She had written since she was 10 years old and her first piece of work was a thriller called Death's Ticket. She wrote her humorous autobiography, called Coronet Among the Weeds, when she was 19, and not long before her twentieth birthday a literary agent discovered her celebrating at the Ritz. He was a friend of her parents and he took off the finished manuscript of her autobiography. In 1963, this was published by Heinemanns and was a best seller.

In 1966, Charlotte Bingham's first novel, called Lucinda, was published. This was later adapted into a TV screenplay. In 1972, Coronet Among the Grass, her second autobiography, was published. This talked about the first ten years of her marriage to fellow writer Terence Brady. They couple, who have two children, later adapted Coronet Among the Grass and Coronet Among the Weeds, into the TV sitcom No, Honestly. She and her husband, Terence Brady, wrote three early episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs together, Board Wages, I Dies from Love and Out of the Everywhere. They later wrote an accompanying book called Rose's Story. They also wrote the episodes of Take Three Girls featuring Victoria (Liza Goddard). In the 1970s Brady and Bingham wrote episodes for the TV series Play for Today, Three Comedies of Marriage, Yes, Honestly and Robin's Nest. During the 1980s and 1990s they continued to write for the occasional TV series, and in 1993 adapted Jilly Cooper's novel Riders for the small screen. Since the 1980s she has become a romance novelist. In 1996 she won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association.

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5 stars
139 (44%)
4 stars
94 (30%)
3 stars
66 (21%)
2 stars
7 (2%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Alma.
66 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2011
One of the books I remember reading as a teenager. Remember staying up all night to finish it.
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books371 followers
June 23, 2017
This book centres around a young woman who makes an enemy of a rich girl at her posh school and rather stupidly there is a continuous running struggle for one to outdo the other, as though a poor girl could ever really be a part of the rich girl's circle. Snobs keep to their own sort. The poor girl doesn't seem to be the brightest or is just naive, and is easily manipulated into a scene involving a groom.

Anyway there are horses galore as later on they each own or train racehorses. Year after year the two each seem to produce a colt for the Epsom Derby - and horses then get nobbled or overtrained or ill in swift succession. In the final contest one colt is even produced by artificial genetic selection. Racing fans may enjoy the story but those not interested in horses probably less so.

I thought that the title could have been improved upon as it has nothing to do with the story. My copy of the paperback, though brand new, was also missing a forty-page chunk of the story which did not endear the book to me.
Profile Image for Elina Belova.
109 reviews15 followers
May 17, 2017
This is a special book. I lived with the book through a significant period of my life. With finishing the book, I have closed my own chapter as well. I wouldn't recommend the book, nor I found the story exciting or bright. But there are life moments when this book suits well.
Profile Image for Kathrin Passig.
Author 51 books475 followers
August 16, 2020
(Öffentliches Bücherregal) Drei Sterne sind eigentlich zu großzügig, aber ich hatte viel Spaß damit. Der Anfang ist sogar richtig gut, aber die Autorin hatte wohl an manchen Tagen mehr Lust zum Schreiben und an anderen weniger. Gelegentlich wird eine Szene detailliert erzählt, aber ein Großteil der über 600 Seiten enthält nur Zusammenfassung von Handlung. Diese Handlung deckt ungefähr 50 Jahre ab, ich sehe ein, dass man da nicht jeder Minute seine ganze Liebe als Autorin widmen kann. Aber es ist schon empörend vieles, das nur im Vorbeigehen erwähnt wird. Die Kinder der Protagonistin werden zwar dramatisch herbeigesehnt und geboren, existieren danach aber nur als blasse Schatten, und sogar die Pferde, um die es hauptsächlich geht, sind zahlreich und leicht verwechselbar. Dafür passiert so viel wie in zehn anderen Büchern: Intrigen! Nonneninternate! Reichtum, Bankrott und wieder Reichtum! Unerwartete Todesfälle! Ständig Champagner! Ganze Horden unehelicher Kinder (sogar der Pfarrer zeugt eines)! Und stilistisch war es angenehm unauffällig, ich habe vorher alle anderen Bücher aus dem öffentlichen Bücherregal genommen und jedes wieder zugeklappt, weil es darin vor schlimmen Adverbien wimmelte. Wenn die gesamte Handlung erzählt und nicht nur zusammengefasst würde, hätte das Buch ungefähr 60.000 Seiten und wäre wahrscheinlich ganz gut.
Profile Image for Samanta  .
6 reviews
January 21, 2024
Šarlote Binghema "Lakstīgalas dziesma"

• Kesijas Makgannas bērnība bija nežēlīga, tomēr, kad viņa nonāca Ņujorkā, sev cieši nozvērējās to vairs nepieminēt un tādā dzīvē neatgriezties. Pēc tam Kesija iepazīstas ar žilbinošo sacīkšu zirgu treneri Tironu, apprecas un pārceļas uz dzīvi Īrijā. Kesijas ikdiena aizrit laimē un harmonijā, līdz notiek traģēdija. Dzīves groži draud izslīdēt no rokām un Kesijai ir jādara viss, lai tas nenotiktu. Tomēr, lai cik grūti nebūtu, viņa neapšaubāmi baudīja katru dzīves mirkli.

• Ak, šī grāmata! Tā ir 700 lappušu plāna, jā, plāna, jo man nepietika. Otras šādas vairs nebūs. Varbūt būs labāka, bet tikai ne šāda. Izsmalcināti skaista, eleganta un neatvairāma, līdz sirds dziļumiem aizkustinoša par sievietes sevis apzināšanās sarežģīto ceļu.

✏️" - Man šķiet, - Džina teica, pēkšņi kļuvusi nopietna, - ja radusies iespēja tvert laimi, tad vajag to tvert." (220.lpp.)
✏️" Dzīve nav ģenerālmēģinājums." (220.lpp.)
✏️" Mums jāiemācās sadzīvot ar to, kas mūs piemeklē. Iziet cauri pārbaudījumam un dzīvot ar to tālāk. Tas nedrīkst apēnot visu turpmāko dzīvi." (378.lpp.)
Profile Image for Momilani Awana.
50 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2025
Read this when I was younger. In retrospect, it's fine and should be about 30% shorter. Characters include kind nuns, an abusive grandmother, loyal friends, a somewhat crazy husband, a promising jockey, a cartoonishly mean rival, an unnecessary rapist, a creepy banker, and the protagonist Cassie. It evolves from abuse porn to school rivalry to romance to sports movie.

The ending is pretty meh. Nice for her to reach great career heights, but the last character she meets really doesn't deserve the mention.
218 reviews46 followers
November 5, 2019
Loved it! Believable characters and a page turner. Well written and storyline which needed to be good for such a thick book - this was easily achieved.
29 reviews
November 12, 2019
One of the best and memorable books I've ever read.
Profile Image for Terena.
181 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2021
Good sweeping saga, that covers around 40 years, although if you aren't interested in horse racing, I guess you wouldn't enjoy it very much!
114 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2021
Almost 800 pages of an unforgettable love story. Has all the elements of a great romance novel. Well written, likeable and hateable characters, lots of tragedy and love.
Profile Image for Katie.
23 reviews
September 11, 2023
I didn't understand any of the horseracing jargon but after 3 years reading this on and off I decided it would've been a 5 star if I did! I will think about this book for a long time
11 reviews
January 11, 2024
Le début du livre est lent. S'étire dans le temps pour finalement nous mener vers une intrigue intéressante.
Profile Image for Panthère Rousse.
59 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2011
Par hasard, à cause de la proximité alphabétique, en regardant une fois de plus les Maeve Binchy à la bibliothèque, je me suis retrouvée avec ce livre. Je l'ai lu jusqu'à la fin, mais j'ai failli sauter des bouts. Je ne le recommande qu'aux amateurs de romances et aux maniaques de chevaux et de courses de chevaux. Je lis assez bien l'anglais normalement, mais j'avoue que le vocabulaire me manquait dans un domaine que je ne connais pas du tout.

Si vous êtes prêt(e) à aimer un livre où une fille maltraitée toute son enfance part à New York, trouve tout de suite un emploi au grand magasin Bergdorf Goodman et est très vite demandée en mariage par un bel Irlandais éleveur de chevaux de course, ce livre est pour vous - à condition que vous vouliez vous taper des pages et des pages de description de courses, y compris les cotes pour les paris. Une bonne partie du livre se passe dans les années 60, mais on se croirait souvent au début du 20e siècle.
Profile Image for Elīna.
473 reviews4 followers
November 1, 2016
Oh, dear. This giant was insufferable and boring. The reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 2, was that there were some things that I found quite enjoyable. But most of them were just so silly and predictable, that I wanted this book to end so bad. Too many horses, not enough of the characters. I felt completely detached from their emotions, and I didn't really care if someone died. Because it just wasn't even remotely sad or upsetting in any way. Even the villain was annoying, which doesn't happen very often. So why did i gave it 3 stars? Well, I guess I liked some of the points/life lessons mentioned and some bits were funny-ish. And that's all. I guess I feel a bit sorry for myself for wasting my time with this. Overall,it was a below average read with disappointing characters.
Profile Image for Sue.
Author 1 book40 followers
January 25, 2008
Cassie has a miserable childhood, brought up by a grandmother who despises her. But she finds friends at school and eventually falls in love.

Her life is full of ups and downs, with some very striking moments and unexpected twists to the plot. I liked it more than I expected to, and felt the ending was nicely rounded.
Profile Image for Maya Kabbara.
34 reviews13 followers
January 23, 2015
This book was one heck of a roller coaster of emotions;on one chapter I found myself laughing uncontrollably, and on another I was an emotional wreck...It's truly touching and I constantly catch myself daydreaming about it❤️
Profile Image for Ladan F.
32 reviews
August 18, 2007
this book was excellent,I just couldn't put it down.very exciting,very emotional at times.you can't wait to turn the page
5 reviews
Read
February 14, 2009
One of the best romatic books i've read when I was a teenager.
Profile Image for Lauren.
765 reviews52 followers
September 7, 2009
One of the first "adult" books I read as a kid - I must be feeling nostalgic.
2 reviews
August 7, 2010
Si vous avez la passion des courses de chevaux ce livre est pour vous. Le début où sa fausse grand-mère la maltraite semble être hors contexte.
Profile Image for Helen.
284 reviews10 followers
July 9, 2012
This was the first proper novel I read. My sons middle name is Tyrone after Cassies husband :)
16 reviews
September 13, 2012
Really enjoyed this book and found myself often not wanting to put it down. Am going on to the sequel next.
Profile Image for Cathy.
26 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2013
This was the first book I read that actually made me sob, in public, on a train!!!! Just loved it - one of Ms Bingham's best - Keeper - to be read again and again (with tissues).
Profile Image for Lorna Lake.
20 reviews
August 3, 2013
I did not want this book to end so kept reading the last chapter even though I was distraught. In my top 10.
Profile Image for Andy Plonka.
3,854 reviews18 followers
March 7, 2014
A sort of sweet love story that was way too long. I would not have finished it but for the bits about horse racing and training horses.
5 reviews
August 19, 2016
found the book interesting. lots of talk of horses. got extremely frustrated at the lack of parenting!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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