The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton is a novel I was very excited to read.  I have read most of her previous novels and loved them.  I had also had the recent privilege of hearing Kate Morton in conversation with Joanna Trollope at a book festival a few weeks ago. I just knew this was going to be a gorgeous book.

Before I write about the story, I must mention the cover.  It certainly wins my prize for best book cover of the year. It is just beautiful.  The illustrations and colours appeal to me so much.  I want to keep this book sitting on a table just so I can enjoy the cover.

The focus of the story is Birchwood Manor,  a beautiful house on the banks of the Upper Thames, on the bend of the river.  It is the place where a talented artist and his friends arrive for the summer of 1862 where they plan to paint and create beautiful things in the wonderful light and surroundings.  With them is Lilly, a girl Edward met on the streets of London.  He is captivated by her as she is by him.  Sadly the plans for the idyllic summer end in death and tragedy.  Fast forward to the current day and Elodie, an archivist from London has come across a satchel containing a photograph and an artists sketch book with a picture of the house she recognises from stories she heard as a child.  Elodie is drawn to the house and cannot stop her self from investigating the links between the painting and the photograph further.

The 150 years between the first visit by the group of artists and Elodie’s discovery are what make up this story.  It is a meandering tale with many different strands all cleverly woven together.  The story is intricate and covers each of the time periods with equal skill and attention to detail.  Characters are introduced gradually and seamlessly stitched together.  The story never moves abruptly from one period to the other but does so with a natural flow and grace.

From the first few magical pages I was instantly drawn into the story.  It was utterly inviting

“This was the proposal that he made: an entire summer month of paint and poetry and  picnics, of stories and science and invention.  Of light, heaven-sent.  Away from London, away from prying eyes.  Little wonder that the others accepted with aclarity.  Edward could make the very devil pray, if such were his desire.  Only to me did he confess his other reason for coming here.  For although the lure of the light was real enough, Edward had a secret.”

Birchwood Manor is beguiling and clearly acts as a keeper of memories.  It is a place which has meaning for each person who lives there.  It touches them deeply, it protects them and nourishes them.  At times it is shrouded in mystery and sadness.  At others it is a place of joy.  Reading this I could almost feel the wisps of ghosts and hidden stories hiding and gently brushing past its secret rooms.

Each character feels authentic and true and Kate Morton clearly demonstrates her ability to write the voice of men and women and children from different backgrounds and classes equally well.  This is such skilful writing.  There are so many layers and backstories it could be confusing.  It really isn’t.  Each layer is used to create a whole and no matter which character or period I was reading, I was completely immersed.

One of the things I remember Kate saying at the event I attended, is that the same urge she had to read as a child is what compels her to write and create a world around her.  This is made so clear in the The Clockmaker’s Daughter.  This is a wonderful world full of fascinating characters.  This story is enchanting, elegant and full of heartbreak and tragedy. I feel sure Kate has constructed here the kind of story she also loves to read. Surely this is the story any aspiring author would long to write.

It is rare I read a book more than once, with the exception of Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol and The Great Gatsby! However I feel this is one I could happily read again.  The writing is so poetic, and the characters and story so engaging, I feel sure I would be happy to be reacquainted with both some time in the future. This is a big book. 582 pages in hardback and yet I still carried it in my bag everywhere, reading it at any spare moment I had.  I was entranced from beginning to end.  The ending is just as beautiful as the beginning.  I finished it with big splashy tears running down my face.

If you have never read anything by Kate Morton before, then this would be a lovely place to start.  If you have, then you will be very happy to read this.  She has a tremendous gift for telling stories and creating scenes you just won’t want to leave.