The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Kate Morton has been on my reading list every year since I discovered her, in 2013 - when I read The Forgotten Garden. Those were the days before spreadsheets tallied all the books I'd read, and certainly before book reviews on my blog. "...be warned, it is a long girly indulgence!" I gushed on my Goodreads review. Yes (sigh) - with the exclamation mark.

And look how pretty this one is. And it's long, but that didn't scare me. I'm used to that from Ms. Morton.

So, it's fair to say that I'm a fan. And also that I was predisposed to love this. 

The Clockmaker's Daughter is about so many people, so many stories, so many memories from Birchwood Manor that it's difficult to keep track. It starts off in present time with Elodie Winslow, a young archivist, who comes across some interesting sketches in a sketchbook in a satchel, with links to that house, etched in her own memories from stories told by her late mother. She visits Great Uncle Tip, who clearly knows more than he's telling. However, there is also a link to the Magenta Brotherhood - a group of artists centered around Edward Radcliffe, who took a summer at Birchwood Manor in 1862 where there was a death and a disappearance of the Radcliffe Blue - a diamond pendant.       


It took me about 200 pages to start getting into it. So many stories, none of which really grabbed me. When Ada Lovegrove - a little girl growing up with her Shashi in India arrived at Birchwood Manor, I started being interested. 

And then it wasn't difficult. There is so much atmosphere in Kate Morton's novels. Magical, nostalgic transportational writing that immerses you in a place, which is where you want to live while you read. Happily, this was present in this book. Beautiful prose, wonderful scenery, settings steeped in history and loveliness.

I struggled to keep track of who was who and what they were doing - I had to check back a few times, and I couldn't work out if it was my memory, or maybe that I didn't care all that much - I suspect the latter.

A complicated, ultimately satisfying plot, but it could have done with a good edit - there was just too much to keep track of, and some story elements that were unnecessary.

A ramble in an English country manor and its grounds that took longer than it should have. Pleasant and slightly diverting, but difficult to be passionate about - it was just too long.

3 stars

ISBN: 9781451649390

You may also enjoy The Lake House by Kate Morton.

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