Kate Morton is an Australian author. He has sold more than 11 million books in 42 different countries around the world. The Clockmaker’s Daughter is the enchanting novel by Kate Morton. The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story about murder, mystery, and thief about the art of love. We invite you to watch the development of this great book.
Here are the top 3 reviews and comments that readers love about this fascinating book.
Review 1: The Clockmaker’s Daughter Audiobook by nashvillegirl
Ever since I read The Lake House, which I loved, I have been meaning to read another one of Kate Morton’s books. The Clockmaker’s Daughter, her latest book, does not disappoint. It’s told primarily from the viewpoint of Elodie, a woman in the present day who discovers a leather satchel containing a mysterious photograph and sketchbook, and from a group of artists in the mid-1800s, who were spending a summer at Birchwood Manor, an English countryside house with a long history. There are other characters from different points in time that weigh in as well, helping to build the narrative.
Morton is especially skilled at building these types of historical stories, that are part mysteries, part historical fiction,and part love story. The pacing is almost perfect – just enough information is given that the story keeps on building and the reader is engaged, but nothing is ever revealed too early or too quickly. In fact, I didn’t realize what would happen at the end of the book until the precise moment when Morton hinted at it in the last pages. Additionally, the setting is wonderful, and I could really feel myself at the Manor both in historical times and in the present day. There are little historical details woven throughout the book that really help build the setting. Furthermore, the character development is fantastic – I really felt like I knew Elodie, the artists, and others.
One thing to note is that these types of stories take awhile to build, so an impatient reader may begin almost immediately wondering when s/he will get to the “meat” of the story. That’s not to say that the book is slow-moving or wastes words – quite the opposite, and the reader is immediately presented with the mystery – but it may take a few chapters until you are invested enough in the story to get to the point where you don’t want to put the book down. Also, resist any urges to peek ahead, as I did this, and definitely spoiled a chapter for myself.
All in all, I can’t recommend this book highly enough, and now I definitely want to read all of Morton’s previous books while I wait for her next one to come out!
Review 2: The Clockmaker’s Daughter Audiobook by Leanne
Kate Morton is one of my favorite contemporary writers (I even had the chance to meet her two-and-a-half years ago at a book signing for _The Lake House_ at a local bookstore, and couldn’t resist including the photo here!), and this new novel — her sixth — is another one of her gems. If you love novels where the impact of the past is felt on the present, you’ll love this one.
As with Morton’s previous novels, _The Clockmaker’s Daughter_ juxtaposes the past and present by telling the narrative through the use of multiple voices. The primary action in the past involves a group of artists (almost reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites in terms of their lifestyle) living in 1862, and the primary action in the present day involves an archivist named Elodie Winslow, whose discovery of a mysterious photo and journal/sketchbook lead her to seek out the story behind them. As you read more deeply, you also learn about the titular character, and her role in all of the events that have taken place. (I don’t want to include any spoilers, so am purposely leaving my synopsis a bit vague.)
Morton is especially adept at using similar themes in new ways, so here you’ll find a mysterious manor house; a narrative, as mentioned, that moves between time periods (here, between the Victorian period and 2017); and secrets waiting to be unlocked. The way in which Morton works her craft, though, makes each of her novels unique, and this one is no exception.
Her prose, as always, is also luminescent, and the way that Morton describes the small details of Elodie’s life in particular is just beautiful. In several places, it reminded me of the writing of Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield; there are also quite a few places where Morton’s use of free indirect discourse flows into a stream-of-consciousness style. Morton also seems to have taken more risks in her writing than she has in her prior novels. Early on, for instance, there is a small section where the point of view is that of a satchel waiting to be opened, and the use of personification here feels fresh and new.
Morton’s novels are long, but the pacing is always perfect — as it is in this new one — and I devoured this novel in just a few days. As the mysteries surrounding the characters unfolded and the interspersed narratives pulled me in, I couldn’t stop reading, and was up way past my bedtime a few nights because I couldn’t put this down. (Who needs sleep, though, when you have good coffee??!) I definitely recommend Morton’s newest novel. The only problem is that it’ll be a few more years until her next one is out. 🙂
Review 3: The Clockmaker’s Daughter Audiobook by Amanda
