The Clockmaker’s Daughter

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!