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Loading... The House at Riverton: A Novel (original 2006; edition 2009)by Kate Morton
Work InformationThe House at Riverton by Kate Morton (2006)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 3.75/5 A low pick for me. The story about a well-to-do family in WWI England is told from the POV of Grace, one of the Hartford family's servants, who lives vicariously through the two Hartford sisters, Hannah and Emmeline. The plot moved slowly for 3/4 of the book then rushed to its cataclysmic conclusion. I also found myself wanting to know more about Grace's transformation from a maid to an archeologist than just a quick few sentences at the end. The pacing throughout the book was chaotic and undisciplined. It was Morton's first novel, so that's why I cut her some slack and still picked it. I cared enough about the characters, too, so I will probably read more by her. Grace is the storyteller and she is 98. She tells the story as she reminisces about her past life in service as first a maid and then lady’s maid to the Hartford family at Riverton. The story is woven from the past and the present and really draws in the reader. Glimpses are given of a secret and a guilt that Grace has never shared. Enough twists and turns for interest. The time period and how war affected the family upstairs and downstairs and the role of women in society and at home were interesting. In the summer of 1924, a young poet, tortured by his experiences as a soldier in World War I, kills himself at a party at the grand Riverton House, witnessed by Hannah, the aristocratic lady of the house, and her sister Emmeline, who have never spoken to each other since. In the present day, a film company are making a movie about the events and approach 98 year old Grace, Hannah’s former lady’s maid, the only person still living who was there that night. As Grace looks back over her life, the story of the family’s life at Riverton and the events that led to the tragic night of the party are revealed. I was looking forward to reading this book, I like a bit of historical fiction when I’m in the mood, especially if there is an element of mystery thrown in. However, I found that the story took ages to get going and at 150 pages in (the book is just under 600 pages long) I was still waiting for the story to really get started, and found myself getting slightly bored. When the story did pick up though, I started to really enjoy it, and the last quarter rattled along brilliantly, with an excellent ending that kept me guessing. The writing style flows well, which is what kept me going even while I was waiting for something to happen; I would say that the book could have been about 150 pages shorter throughout and that would have kept the story tighter. I did like the dual timelines, with the older Grace looking back over her life, but the younger Grace’s story being told as though it was in the present not the past. This also meant that there was a lot of foreshadowing although we know from the very beginning that it is going to end with the night of the infamous party. Overall a decent read, and an author I would probably explore further. no reviews | add a review
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Summer 1924. On the eve of a glittering Society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again. Winter 1999. Grace Bradley, 98, one-time housemaid of Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet’s suicide. Ghosts awaken and memories, long consigned to the dark reaches of Grace’s mind, begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge – something history has forgotten but Grace never could. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Ursula, a film-maker, visits 98 year-old Grace to see what she remembers about her time spent with the Hartford family, as a house-servant and ladies’ maid at Riverton House in Essex. In particular she wants to know what Grace remembers about the fateful party in 1924 which ended with the suicide of a young poet and his discovery by wealthy socialite sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford.
Grace takes us back to a different era when social ranks were studiously maintained and a life in service was far more than just a job, and keeping up appearances and loyalty were everything. Grace recollects the glamorous life of her mistress Hannah Hartford, and her unhappy marriage to politician and businessman Teddy Luxton. She remembers “The Game” the sisters and their brother played as children and their devotion to secrecy. Grace is a witness to the household secrets and gradually her story unfolds, one intrigue and heartache after another.
This was a delicately written story creating a haunting atmosphere of glamour, secrecy, romance and heartbreak. Although it is long, it feels like the kind of book that creates such an engaging world that you don’t want it to end. I will definitely happily read anything else Kate Morton writes without even reading the blurb. ( )