The Clockmaker's Daughter: A Novel
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Homecoming—“An ambitious, compelling historical mystery with a fabulous cast of characters…Kate Morton at her very best.” —Kristin Hannah
“An elaborate tapestry…Morton doesn’t disappoint.” —The Washington Post
"Classic English country-house Goth at its finest." —New York Post
In the depths of a 19th-century winter, a little girl is abandoned on the streets of Victorian London. She grows up to become in turn a thief, an artist’s muse, and a lover. In the summer of 1862, shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she travels with a group of artists to a beautiful house on a bend of the Upper Thames. Tensions simmer and one hot afternoon a gunshot rings out. A woman is killed, another disappears, and the truth of what happened slips through the cracks of time. It is not until over a century later, when another young woman is drawn to Birchwood Manor, that its secrets are finally revealed.
Told by multiple voices across time, this is an intricately layered, richly atmospheric novel about art and passion, forgiveness and loss, that shows us that sometimes the way forward is through the past.
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Homecoming—“An ambitious, compelling historical mystery with a fabulous cast of characters…Kate Morton at her very best.” —Kristin Hannah
“An elaborate tapestry…Morton doesn’t disappoint.” —The Washington Post
"Classic English country-house Goth at its finest." —New York Post
In the depths of a 19th-century winter, a little girl is abandoned on the streets of Victorian London. She grows up to become in turn a thief, an artist’s muse, and a lover. In the summer of 1862, shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she travels with a group of artists to a beautiful house on a bend of the Upper Thames. Tensions simmer and one hot afternoon a gunshot rings out. A woman is killed, another disappears, and the truth of what happened slips through the cracks of time. It is not until over a century later, when another young woman is drawn to Birchwood Manor, that its secrets are finally revealed.
Told by multiple voices across time, this is an intricately layered, richly atmospheric novel about art and passion, forgiveness and loss, that shows us that sometimes the way forward is through the past.
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thenextgoodbook.com
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
482 pages
What’s it about?
This story is told from many different viewpoints but remains rooted in England. We begin in the summer of 1862 with a group of young artists who have taken up residence in Birchwood Manor. In time, a murder is committed, jewels are stolen, and a young woman goes missing. Over 150 years later Elodie Winslow happens upon a leather satchel containing clues to what happened. This is a story told across time about murder, art, love, and loss.
What did it make me think about?
I have enjoyed all of the Kate Morton books I have read. She has such a distinctive style to her writing and all her stories seem to be so very English. I have come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for anything English.
Should I read it?
Get yourself a cup of tea and a scone and settle in.
Quote-
“People value shiny stones and lucky charms, but they forget that the most powerful talismans of all are the stories that we tell to ourselves and to others.”
If you like this try-
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
The Heart's invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
482 pages
What’s it about?
This story is told from many different viewpoints but remains rooted in England. We begin in the summer of 1862 with a group of young artists who have taken up residence in Birchwood Manor. In time, a murder is committed, jewels are stolen, and a young woman goes missing. Over 150 years later Elodie Winslow happens upon a leather satchel containing clues to what happened. This is a story told across time about murder, art, love, and loss.
What did it make me think about?
I have enjoyed all of the Kate Morton books I have read. She has such a distinctive style to her writing and all her stories seem to be so very English. I have come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for anything English.
Should I read it?
Get yourself a cup of tea and a scone and settle in.
Quote-
“People value shiny stones and lucky charms, but they forget that the most powerful talismans of all are the stories that we tell to ourselves and to others.”
If you like this try-
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
The Heart's invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry
Kate Morton by far is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is exquisite and this novel is no exception. That being said I thought there were too many time lines to follow and therefore it was hard to stay engaged. I am glad I finished it but would recommend The Secret Keeper or The Forgotten Garden over this one.
“What a dignified object was a book, almost noble in its purpose.”
Historical fiction at its best. Beautiful Masterpiece. Mysterious. Magical. Atmospheric. Spellbinding.
I own all of Kate Morton's books, but sadly this is only the second book I have read and in absolutely no way did this story disappoint. I could have devoured in one sitting, but, life. When I wasn't reading it kept calling to me throughout the day and to me that's a sign of a good book.
I think my new goodreads friend Lee said it best, you just wanted to hug this book when it was over.
Historical fiction at its best. Beautiful Masterpiece. Mysterious. Magical. Atmospheric. Spellbinding.
I own all of Kate Morton's books, but sadly this is only the second book I have read and in absolutely no way did this story disappoint. I could have devoured in one sitting, but, life. When I wasn't reading it kept calling to me throughout the day and to me that's a sign of a good book.
I think my new goodreads friend Lee said it best, you just wanted to hug this book when it was over.
A foolish man wants to shorten time and distance. A wise man wants to lengthen them.
Kate Morton has a way with me, as Ive said before. The Clock Maker's Daughter isn't anything spectacular persay, but it certainly kept me turning pages without realizing how quickly I was doing so. I'm not sure if it's Morton's ability to bring everything to life in such a vivid way or her talent in creating an elaborate mystery out of a rather simple tale that grabs me so thoroughly, but she certainly does grab me.
The Clockmaker's Daughter, for me, was closer to the level of her first few novels which I enjoyed a touch more than the last few. Although it takes some practice to fully get into her writing style, it's part of Kate Morton's charm. There are a lot of characters and many different time frames from which the story is told so it can become a little confusing if the reader is distracted. For me, Kate Morton keeps me from being distracted, but maybe that's just me.
The story is based around a missing painting (or possibly a rumored painting that never existed), a stolen jewel, a murder mystery, a mysterious country estate, and several generations of a few different families that are all tied together with or without their knowledge. Kate Morton does a great job, as always, of building the readers intrigue, slowly painting a picture of a mysterious event that took place generations before, and then neatly tying everything and everyone together to explain what actually happened. Like I said, it's not ground-breaking but she does it better than most.
While this book slowed down a bit in the second half, it still ranks up there with her best work.
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