The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Happy Publication Day to Kate Morton for one of our most highly anticipated books for this fall 2018, THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER!  What an exciting day for us and I’m sure for a few of you as well that love Kate Morton novels just as much as we do! The Traveling Sisters just finished this one and of course, we are all cheering!

Lindsay is the biggest fan of Kate Morton in our group and this one was one of her most anticipated reads and the excitement from this sister was out of this coulee!! Norma is also a big fan and could not wait to read get started on this one and let me tell you these sisters were doing cartwheels through the coulee.

Norma’s review

Captivating, mysterious and spellbinding!

KATE MORTON once again put me under her spell with her fabulous new novel THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER.  The setting was just as bewitching as the storytelling! I absolutely loved the fantastical elements of this story, learning all the secrets hidden in Birchwood Manor and the character connections to the ghostly presence of Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter which was so pivotal to the story for me.  I love me a good ghost story!

THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER by KATE MORTON is an engrossing, wonderful, and breathtaking read here that offers many and such distinctive storylines that I found rather alluring and definitely appealed to me as a reader.  I was immediately drawn into this gothic story and it fully captivated my thoughts while I was reading this book.

KATE MORTON skillfully delivers an absolutely beautiful, richly detailed, complex and atmospheric read here that vastly intertwines different time periods and multiple characters together into one astounding and powerful story.    

Even though I had to closely pay attention to all the characters and how they were connected to the story and Birchwood Manor it did not take away how entertaining and enjoyable this story was for me.  It was great storytelling and the whole story felt like I was doing just that reading a story! I have been craving for a story just like this one and it definitely delivered!

Lindsay’s review

Evocatively atmospheric. Exquisitely detailed. Brilliantly narrated.

Let me start by stating, I love Kate Morton! She is one of my most favourite authors! I have read and loved all of her books.  I devoured this lengthy novel in days, putting aside all other reading to truly focus on her luscious and delectable writing. This novel stole time away from things I should have been doing, while at the same time I was trying to truly savour every single word of Kate Morton’s brilliance.

This is a multigeneration saga that expands well over 100 years involving love, loss, mystery, murder, art and many hidden secrets. Each timeline adds a deeper layer to this intricately woven and highly detailed story. There are multiple characters and a most memorable and divine English countryside setting that had me swooning. Birchwood Manor, the main setting throughout this novel, is a character of its own and I fell in love with this old mansion that held many secrets.

I was engrossed within this mysterious tale from start to finish. There were a few times, I had to stop and reread sections, as I found myself slightly confused within a few timelines and characters, however, my attention didn’t waiver. It was a fully satisfying and memorable read that I would highly recommend.

Brenda’s review

This was my first book by Kate Morton and I really didn’t know what to expect from one of her books.  I went into this one with a few other books on the go and I found out there are a few things you might need to know when you read The Clockmaker’s Daughter.

This is a story to savor every beautifully written detail and the story and characters need focus and attention.  The story spans over 150 years and many themes are explored here and there is an extensive amount of characters being introduced through this atmospheric setting.  The characters are interesting and engaging and ones you really want to take the time to get to know.

This one makes for a perfect buddy read or group read.  We highly recommend for group reads. We really enjoyed our discussion and it was so great to share in the excitement with each other over this one.

This is a story to really get lost in.  It’s the perfect one to find to cozy up in your favorite reading spot with your choice of beverage, ignore the world and lock yourself into this story.

Norma’s Stats:

Cover: Eye-catching, stunning, pleasing, and grabbed my attention!  That cover alone made me want to read this book and savour every word.  A fitting representation to storyline and love how it played into the story so meaningfully.

Title: Intriguing, pivotal, suspenseful, simple but yet an extremely fitting representation to the storyline.  Even though The Clockmaker’s Daughter wasn’t necessarily a brilliant title, the ties that bind her to the story definitely was.    

Writing/Prose: Lyrical, insightful, engaging, beautiful, and detailed.  Morton’s writing style is beautifully detailed and poetic but it definitely required my full attention though.  I forgot how beautifully descriptive Morton writes! Once I was able to fully immerse myself in this tale though (which didn’t take very long) and had the feel with how it was written it was much easier for me to read.   

Plot: Suspenseful, mysterious, alluring, engrossing, steady-paced, held my attention fully and extremely entertaining.  A little bit of patience goes a long way when reading this book!

Ending: Bittersweet, satisfying, and ended with a bit of mystery.  Although I found it to be extremely fitting.

Overall: An irresistible, relaxing, delightful, suspenseful, and fabulous read! An epic historical tale that was a little challenging to read at times but oh so worth it! Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending Norma and I an ARC to read and review!  It was an absolute pleasure reading this fantastic novel!

Have you read this one?  Did you find that perfect reading spot to cozy up with this story?  Want to find that spot and cozy up to this one?  Drop us a comment!  We would love to hear from you