Eclecticism

...making decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style.
Me in a nutshell!!!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Book Review of The House at Riverton by Kate Morton...

This beautiful debut novel by the Australian author Kate Morton is outstanding. Truly British, depicting the end of the Edwardian era along with the advent of WWI. If you are a fan of the BBC series Upstairs, Downstairs you will love this book.
Grace Reeves at 14 takes a job at the house on the hill known as Riverton. Her mother was a housemaid there until she left to give birth and raise Grace her only child. Grace becomes an integral part of the household upstairs and down. She is loved by the staff and the Hartford sisters whom she serves. Grace will see it all at Riverton, love, sorrow, despair, & betrayal. She will discover the answers to her own questions that her mother has kept silent about for years. She will have her own secrets and share in the desperate secrets of her employer.
Grace will learn a very hard, hard lesson that even the smallest deception can be life altering. She will eventually leave Riverton and go on with her own life until she makes a full circle back again to Riverton to put to rest events that have haunted her throughout her life. She is the only one who really knows what happened that night in 1924 that will change her life and Riverton forever.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I couldn't put it down. Ms. Morton has a lovely flowing way of writing. It is almost like you are on a boat peacefully sailing down a river, enjoying the beautiful scenery, taking it all in and then every once in awhile come the rapids that you have to sit up and pay attention to.

My favorite genre is British Historical Fiction and this book just fit right in. It's the type of book you will want to read a 2nd and 3rd time.

5 Royal Stars from me!

10 comments:

  1. Great review. I loved this book, too. The last page just KILLED me.

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  2. Oh me too Christy. I really didn't see that coming!

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  3. I really enjoyed Kate Morton's books. Have you seen the trailer for the new one. I recently posted it on my blog and it is amazing!

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  4. I, too, loved this novel! I want to read her latest, A Forgotten Garden.

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  5. I loved this book too, I listened to it on audio and really loved the narrator, Caroline Lee, too, one of my favorite reads this year.

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  6. Thank you for a wonderful, very passionate review! since I am in Australia right now shall go and dig this out.

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  7. Sounds like a terrific book. Thanks for the review. Now I'm off to see if it is available in my library online catalog.

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  8. I picked up this book and A Forgotten Garden on a whim several months ago. I haven't gotten to read it yet, but I'm glad to know that all of you enjoyed it - I can't wait.

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  9. Goodness, this looks like one I can't miss. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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  10. This has been on my list for the longest time! Thank you for the wonderful review and reminding me to pick it up :)

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