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.
"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"
