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Product Description
Review
“A nuanced exploration of family secrets and betrayal . . . captivating.” —People (****)
“A new leap in Morton’s authorial choreography. . . . A rich treat for fans of historical fiction.” —The Washington Post
“A spellbinding journey, a mystery whose well-paced revelations provide a surprising and deeply satisfying read.” —Booklist
“A fresh and thrilling gothic mystery. . . . Layers of deliciously surprising secrets.”
“A new leap in Morton’s authorial choreography. . . . A rich treat for fans of historical fiction.” —The Washington Post
“A spellbinding journey, a mystery whose well-paced revelations provide a surprising and deeply satisfying read.” —Booklist
“A fresh and thrilling gothic mystery. . . . Layers of deliciously surprising secrets.”
—Library Journal
Product Description
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 WW II. 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
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Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Atmospheric gothic feel,
By
This review is from: Distant Hours, The (Hardcover)
A letter, lost for 50 years, finally arrives at the home of Meredith Burchill. Her daughter Edie is there when she opens it. Her Mum's reactions startles her - "... horrid, guttural gasp, followed quickly by a series of rasping sobs". Yet her mother won't discuss the letter any further other than to stay it was from one of the Blythe sisters at Milderhurst Castle, where she lived as an evacuee during the blitzes of 1941war torn England. When a business trip for her publishing firm takes Edie within a few miles of the castle, she impulsively stops by the gates. And remembers being there as a child.
The three elderly Blythe sister are still in residence and welcome Edie. After all "The castle likes to be visited, it needs it." Edie becomes fascinated with the moldering castle and it's residents - both past and present. What connection does her mother have to these women and the past? Although one of the Blythe sisters says " My family lives on in the stones of Milderhurst Castle and it's my duty to keep them. It's not a task for outsiders", they specifically ask for Edie when a new edition of their father's classic bestseller 'The Mud Man' is planned. Edie accepts the job and is inextricably drawn in. The story alternates between Edie's world in 1992 and the past in 1941. Slowly and deliciously we are able to piece together the story of the castle and the tragedy that haunts the Blythe family. The past comes to light, but is told through many voices, each adding their slant and twist on the way to the truth of those distant hours. Morton has written a richly atmospheric novel with a lovely, gothic feel that just makes you want to curl up late at night reading under a single lamp in the dark. The story builds slowly, with layer upon layer added as the tension builds over the course of 500 plus pages. Morton's descriptions add to the eeriness and the atmosphere. "In a small cupboard at the very top of the house there lies a secret doorway. Behind the doorway is the entrance to an entire scheme of hidden passages. It's possible to crawl along them, room to room, attic to cellar, just like a little mouse. If one goes quietly enough, it's possible to hear all manner of secret things; to get lost inside if one isn't careful. They're the castle's veins." I loved this description of the sky. " Outside, the sky grumbled like a full stomach, the gluttonous belly of a gentleman who'd escaped the frugalities of a rationed pantry." Morton is an excellent storyteller. Although there is no 'action' in the book, I was completely caught up in the story of the 'Sisters Blythe'. Tragedy, romance, mystery and secrets abound in The Distant Hours - a book to be savoured and enjoyed.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engrossing,
By
This review is from: Distant Hours, The (Hardcover)
I was completely taken with this book. I never wanted it to end. Her imagination is amazingly wonderful. I truly feel it is the one of the best books I have ever read, and I am a true bookworm. Can't wait for Kate Morton's next novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not spooky, candid,
By
This review is from: Distant Hours (Paperback)
(...)I am still at a loss for my first word about it. It's' candid. It tries interlacing time and space, WWII with the reality of two decades ago, and it succeeds mostly. The beginning is scary and first thought was 'great, a tacky vampire book', but no, nothing to do with it. The plot is beautifully crafted, there is suspense, even well hidden. The descriptions of landscapes made me want to go back to the countryside of my childhood, remember fairy tales and muse over all the castles I visited until now.
Characters, interesting and well traced, morally a lot better than physically, as I found the expression 'cat like eyes' a bit too frequent. Also, the age of Edie's mom does not add up in a scene or two, however, these are minor details, that you almost do not notice whilst swept away by the narration: Edie's story, close to middle age, recently single and forced to find a place to live without resources, her family, quite similar to so many, with domestic life and secrets, a mother she thought she knew and disliked who became her best friend; the Blythe sisters and their castle, Milderhust, their history, the relationship with their father, each life with its amazing potential and none of it fulfilled; the glimpses of Thomas Cavill, the missed and missing one' ; (...) To see the entire review go to allwords.ca.
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