The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Add to Goodreads

Title: The Distant Hours

Author: Kate Morton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 562 pages

Published: 2010

Publisher: Atria

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941. 

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it. 

Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was rather slow going for me. I was fascinated by the story from the beginning, so I believe the slowness was more because I have been distracted with other things and just was momentarily not interested in reading. Once I got over halfway through, I was unable to put it down. 

The story is separated into five parts, each part revealing the cast of the characters, their voices, and another piece of the puzzle. Each part includes what is happening in the present (1992) and what is happening in the past, in 1941 and even earlier than that, as well. While the main character, Edie, is left to come up with her own theory of events, the author gives the reader the chance in Part Five to learn what truly happened on that fateful October night in 1941. Edie's suppositions are not completely wrong, but you'll just have to read for yourself to find out the truth. 

You can purchase The Distant Hours through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Distant Hours? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Add to Goodreads

Title: The Forgotten Garden

Author: Kate Morton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 648 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: Pan Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, and a mystery. The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton. 

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. 

Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairy tales written by Eliza Makepeace - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century - Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Wow. I feel like I say this all the time, but this was a book that captured my attention and piqued my interest right from the start. I really loathed those moments when I had to put it down. The story kept jumping in time, which was a bit confusing at first, but each chapter was labeled with where and when it takes place. It was incredible to get the story, not just from Cassandra in present day, but also from her grandmother, Nell, and even further back in time to Eliza Makepeace and both Adeline and Rose Mountrachet as well. 

Bit by bit, Morton draws you further into the story and reveals bits and pieces of the mystery. There were several times where I was like "Oh my gosh, X is what happened!" and I was wrong, so I love that it threw me off a couple of times as I formed theories. Definitely a must read for fans of Kate Morton, or for anyone that enjoys a good family mystery.

You can purchase The Forgotten Garden through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Forgotten Garden? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.