Dual timeline mystery set in Scotland. A voice of a long-buried body opens the novel. It moves to the 1940s to introduce main characters Caro and Alasdair. After the war, they marry and move to a small house on the grounds of Kelly Castle (instead of London as they had planned), near Alasdair’s mother. Caro is unhappy with this situation. In going through the family records, she discovers a mystery, which takes her mind off her troubles. The other timeline pertains to the mystery and takes place in the 19th century and involves Alasdair’s great grandfather, Oliver.

The author weaves the two timelines together to gradually reveal the answer to the mystery. There are several similarities between the timelines, with common themes such as the changing role of women, the relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, friendship, prejudice, and class differences. It includes a story of an arctic whaling expedition and the crew’s interactions with the indigenous people.

This book brings together a number of my areas of interest – maritime travels, adventures in the extreme cold, gothic elements, and two historic periods that are portrayed in an atmospheric manner. I enjoyed this story as both a satisfying mystery and a pleasing blend of interesting topics. ( )

Gave up on the audiobook because the accent used by the narrator was just too strong - a shame. I love the title. ( )

Caro, husband Alisdair and baby move to his family home, Kelly castle in Scotland. A storm uncovers a secret in the garden. Caro wants to investigate to see find out what happened in the past. The discovery leads to family secrets. In another timeline the story follows Oliver and his two friends Louisa and Charlotte.

I really enjoyed this story. I like a dual timeline story that goes back and forth from the present to the past. The present follows mainly Caro as she investigates the family history. It has a side story of her relationship with her mother in law Martha.

The main story is the past and it follows Oliver, Louisa and Charlotte. This for me was my favourite part of the story. A third part of the story follows Oliver on a whaling ship in the Antarctic. This was my least favourite part of the story but is crucial to the whole plot.

I really enjoyed this book. There was enough to keep my interest and I wanted to know the why and who. I especially enjoyed the book towards the end as everything was explained but did feel that some of the story was wrapped up with a neat little bow.

I haven't read anything by this author before but read more in the future.

Thank you to the publisher via Readers First for the book to review. ( )

The italicized opening chapter very effectively sets the scene for the mystery which lies at the heart of this dual-timeline novel. Although dated ‘Fife, 1949’, it’s immediately clear from the haunting narrative that the voice belongs to a long-buried body, about to be exposed by the heavy rain which has been falling for days. ‘Find me, I whisper. Give me my name … It is time’. The second chapter is set in 1944, introducing Caro and Alasdair and revealing their plans to live and work in London when they marry after the war. However, by chapter three, it’s clear that those plans have changed because it’s 1949, they have a baby daughter and are living in a cottage in the grounds of Kelly Castle … only three hundred yards from Alasdair’s mother, Martha, not the five-hundred-mile distance Caro had envisaged would separate her from her mother-in-law. Her sense of isolation, despair and disappointment is palpable as she reflects that she barely recognises her post-natal self … ‘She missed capable and confident Caro, dashing around the country, lecturing to upturned faces in village halls, able to clean a carburettor or expound on Shakespeare’s plays equally well. She had admired that Caro.’ Can Martha’s suggestion that she should use her academic skills to archive the family records, do some research and maybe solve a family mystery, help put her back in touch with her old self?
There are so many aspects of Elisabeth Gifford’s latest historical novel which contributed to making it such a thought-provoking, satisfying and enjoyable story to read that it’s difficult to know which to start with! However, I think that what linked them all together for me was the skilled way in which she managed, through the dual timeline of the story, to not only gradually reveal the mystery which lay at the heart of the Gillan family and the identity of the body discovered in the grounds of the castle, but to illustrate the many parallels which existed between the historic and contemporary stories which were being told. Just a few examples of this include having a character in the 19th century who mirrored some of the struggles faced by women wanting to challenge society’s norms and expectations; the complex dynamics of mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships (including how good intentions can all too easily be mis-interpreted!); the importance of sibling and friendship relationships; prejudice, racism and bigotry and reflections on the changing (and sometimes unchanging!) nature of issues surrounding social class and social inequality.
The frequent switches between timelines (the earlier one follows the story of Oliver, Alasdair’s great-grandfather) never felt confusing, instead I always felt that the author was using them in a controlled and assured way to weave together the different strands of the novel, simultaneously maintaining a sense of tension whilst gradually adding layers of depth to the developing storyline. She created characters in each of the timelines who, because they were all so well portrayed, enabled me to feel either emotionally invested in those I came to care about, or enraged by those whose behaviour, prejudices and bigotry caused such immediate, and lasting, damage to others.
Throughout the story I appreciated the powerful sense of time and place the author evoked, whether that was post-World War II austerity, living in a cold draughty castle or in a tenement, or working conditions in a 19th century factory. However, what made this a story which will remain in my memory was what I learnt about the manufacture of jute in Dundee and, because whale oil was essential to the process, the building of the Dundee Whaling Fleet and the consequent annual expeditions to the Arctic Circle, to forge relationships with the local Inuit communities and to use their native knowledge to hunt and kill whales. I admired the way in which she so effectively distilled her considerable research into this strand of the story to portray the various hardships endured by the crews of these ships, the ever-present threats they faced from the extreme cold (eg frostbite or the ship becoming ice-bound), of the crew’s reliance on the knowledge and help of local Innuit communities to track down the whales and yet their lack of respect for their culture. I also enjoyed the insights into the richness of Inuit culture, traditions and mythology which she included, as well as her vivid word-pictures describing the stunning beauty of the Arctic region. What was far less enjoyable to read, but essential to the authenticity of the story, were her at times graphic descriptions of the horrific barbarity involved in harpooning whales, and her portrayals of the openly expressed racism and bigotry of the time.
Although I don’t expect it from every novel I read, I always find a huge amount of extra satisfaction when I come across one which not only teaches me something new, but also inspires me to do extra research on a subject. This captivating, frequently moving story did both so I wholeheartedly recommend it, not just as an engaging personal read but also as one which, because of its wide range of thought-provoking themes, would make an interesting choice for reading groups.
With thanks to the publisher and Readers First for a copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )