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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Joan Haste</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/joan-haste--7143215</link><description><![CDATA[Journey into the depths of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships as we explore the resonant themes suggested by "Joan Haste." This podcast invites listeners to immerse themselves in a rotating collection of poignant tales that navigate the intricacies of romance and sacrifice. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that captures the essence of emotional turmoil and the transformative power of love, often set against the backdrop of societal constraints and personal struggles. With every new story, you’ll encounter characters who grapple with their desires and destinies, revealing the profound connections that bind us all. This is not a single narrative but a rich tapestry of unique explorations that will inspire reflection and evoke empathy. Discover a new book with every episode and delve into the timeless themes of passion and perseverance that resonate across generations.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7143215/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Satire Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg</url><title>Joan Haste</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/joan-haste--7143215</link></image><lastBuildDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:25:29 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Satire Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker80@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Journey into the depths of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships as we explore the resonant themes suggested by "Joan Haste." This podcast invites listeners to immerse themselves in a rotating collection of poignant tales that...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Journey into the depths of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships as we explore the resonant themes suggested by "Joan Haste." This podcast invites listeners to immerse themselves in a rotating collection of poignant tales that navigate the intricacies of romance and sacrifice. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that captures the essence of emotional turmoil and the transformative power of love, often set against the backdrop of societal constraints and personal struggles. With every new story, you’ll encounter characters who grapple with their desires and destinies, revealing the profound connections that bind us all. This is not a single narrative but a rich tapestry of unique explorations that will inspire reflection and evoke empathy. Discover a new book with every episode and delve into the timeless themes of passion and perseverance that resonate across generations.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Religion"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>cee4e92d-806d-5cd6-a78c-6ef2ac54792a</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Spoils of Poynton-Henry James</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/spoils-of-poynton-henry-james--74635503</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74635503</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:03:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74635503/spoils_of_poynton_henry_james.mp3" length="208642668" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26054</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Cyrano de Bergerac (Hooker translation)-Edmond Rostand</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/cyrano-de-bergerac-hooker-translation-edmond-rostand--74602478</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74602478</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:03:28 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74602478/cyrano_de_bergerac_hooker_translation_edmond_rostand.mp3" length="138030850" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17237</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>One-Act Play Collection 021-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-act-play-collection-021-various--74569719</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74569719</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:03:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74569719/one_act_play_collection_021_various.mp3" length="140481961" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17542</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Idomen, or The Vale of Yumuri-Maria Gowen Brooks</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/idomen-or-the-vale-of-yumuri-maria-gowen-brooks--74538341</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74538341</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:09:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74538341/idomen_or_the_vale_of_yumuri_maria_gowen_brooks.mp3" length="188860712" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23584</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Understood Betsy-Dorothy Canfield Fisher</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/understood-betsy-dorothy-canfield-fisher--74506818</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74506818</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:09:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74506818/understood_betsy_dorothy_canfield_fisher.mp3" length="132666040" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16567</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>King in Yellow (part 1)-Robert W. Chambers</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/king-in-yellow-part-1-robert-w-chambers--74468631</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74468631</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:08:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74468631/king_in_yellow_part_1_robert_w_chambers.mp3" length="133643600" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16689</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Alice's Adventures Underground-Lewis Carroll</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/alice-s-adventures-underground-lewis-carroll--74435517</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74435517</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:08:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74435517/alice_s_adventures_underground_lewis_carroll.mp3" length="38884644" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4855</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Agnes Grey (Dramatic Reading)-Anne Brontë</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/agnes-grey-dramatic-reading-anne-bronte--74395248</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74395248</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:47:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74395248/agnes_grey_dramatic_reading_anne_bronte.mp3" length="179434782" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22407</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Chain of Destiny-Bram Stoker</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/chain-of-destiny-bram-stoker--74351699</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74351699</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:33:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74351699/chain_of_destiny_bram_stoker.mp3" length="46524254" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. Rider Haggard</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5810</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>New Alice in the Old Wonderland-Anna Matlack Richards</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/new-alice-in-the-old-wonderland-anna-matlack-richards--74212323</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. 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(Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15023</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Amethyst Cross-Fergus Hume</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/amethyst-cross-fergus-hume--74165724</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. 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(Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31659</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ice-Maiden and Other Tales-Hans Christian Andersen</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ice-maiden-and-other-tales-hans-christian-andersen--74120606</link><description><![CDATA[A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. 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(Summary by Elroi Shelley)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8731</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2f6d400cbacb9cff19602a66ae420472.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Deirdre-James Stephens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/deirdre-james-stephens--73400379</link><description><![CDATA[Deirdre-James Stephens invites listeners into a compelling exploration of the human experience, weaving themes of resilience and introspection throughout the narrative. This audiobook resonates with audiences today as it delves into the complexities of identity and the journey of self-discovery, reminding us of the timeless nature of these struggles. The story's enduring appeal lies in its ability to evoke empathy and reflection, encouraging listeners to confront their own paths and choices. 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