Submit

A Novel

By: Mark Partridge

Narrated by: Gillian Wiggin

On the verge of becoming a spinster at twenty-three in colonial Nova Scotia, Submit Leete yields to parental pressure to marry a British Captain more than twice her age, but when he dies and she marries his young protégé too soon afterwards, her young stepdaughter Mary suspects the worst and vows revenge.

Was his death an accident or murder?

Mary sets out to prove that Submit and her new husband were motivated by lust and greed to end her father's life and steal his fortune. Dogged by this quest, she traces clues deep into the past hoping to destroy their lives, just as hers was destroyed.

In the face of Mary's vendetta and the obstacles imposed on women by the norms of her time, Submit pursues her own hopeful dreams for success, equality and independence.

Submit and her younger sister experience difficult cultural forces restraining women to hearth and home. They live at a time when women were not welcome in a man's world of education or business, making their struggle to find independence a difficult journey against the tide.

©2025 Mark Partridge (P)2025 Mark Partridge

From 'Good' to 'Great'

The narration turned a good story into a great one. The 'reader' did more than read - She gave each character their own voice and kept me enthralled throughout.

Sprawling and intimate historical fiction

I really loved this title. I originally listened because I was intrigued by the plotting of the young wife, the potential murder, and the exploration of the expectations of submission and possibilities for freedom and individuality available to these women would be. However, I was not expecting the full richness of the way that the settings of early America and Nova Scotia and the detail of the time period, would impact the piece.

It is a really beautiful piece, one where you wish that the ending would not come so soon because you have lived so long with the characters -- even though the twist at the ending is worth the listen and the wait! Gillian Wiggin narrates beautifully, breathing life and vulnerability into all the characters, including Mary -- whom I imagine listeners and readers will hate as readily as I did -- so that we can empathise and relate to each.

Beautiful, sprawling and intimate-- I definitely recommend a listen.

Great story and well told!

The story of Submit held my attention from beginning to end, with interesting characters, situations, and descriptions. The narrator really brought the book to life!