The Distant Hours by Kate MortonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
How could I not choose to read a book whose cover jacket compares the author's storytelling to Ian McEwan's Atonement and Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind?
If someone accused me of reading romances, I would inwardly bristle. On the other hand, it is quite apparent that I love Gothic tales and what are they if not stories of thwarted romance?
Kate Morton's epic literary mystery is spurred by a letter mailed in 1941 and delivered in 1992. It tells the story of the secrets of Milderhurst Castle as they are discovered by the daughter of a woman who was evacuated as a child from London during the war and chosen by the Blythe family to live with them in the castle.
There is some truly lyrical writing that draws you in and hints at the truth you are led to suspect. The ending turns out to be a surprise but not unexpected on reflection.
Kate Morton has two other books: The Forgotten Garden and House at Riverton, which are now on my growing list.
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Oooh, I received this for Christmas and now I've moved it to the top of the pile. I liked her previous books more than I thought I would.
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