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The House at Riverton: A Novel by Kate…
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The House at Riverton: A Novel (original 2006; edition 2008)

by Kate Morton

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
5,4482481,890 (3.83)349
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.… (more)
Member:braident
Title:The House at Riverton: A Novel
Authors:Kate Morton
Info:Atria (2008), Hardcover, 480 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
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Work Information

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (2006)

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    A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine (kitzyl)
    kitzyl: There is a passage in The Shifting Fog which describes the relationship between Hannah and Emmeline as a "string that bends, it will eventually snap and the points will separate; if elastic, they will continue to part, further and further, until the strain reaches its limits and they are pulled back with such speed that they cannot help but collide with devastating force." In The Dark-Adapted Eye, the sisters are Vera and Eden whose inexplicably interdependent-but-destructive relationship embody the aforementioned elastic string. The story is told from the perspective of their niece who accompanies the reader on the events leading up to the devastation.… (more)
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» See also 349 mentions

English (229)  Spanish (7)  Norwegian (3)  German (2)  Dutch (2)  Swedish (1)  Italian (1)  Finnish (1)  Portuguese (Portugal) (1)  Danish (1)  All languages (248)
Showing 1-5 of 229 (next | show all)
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. ( )
  crabbyabbe | Jan 31, 2024 |
3.5 stars ( )
  EllieBhurrut | Jan 24, 2024 |
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. ( )
  LuLibro | Jan 22, 2024 |
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. ( )
  Ruth72 | Apr 10, 2023 |
I thought the story was very good. Great characters. Very detailed descriptions. ( )
  dmurfgal | Dec 9, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 229 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (20 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Kate Mortonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Breuer, CharlotteTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fernández Jiménez, DavidTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lee, CarolineNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Middelthon, Elisabet W.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Dedication
For Davin, who holds my hand on the roller-coaster
First words
Last November I had a nightmare.
Quotations
I agreed, touched by the way little untruths told to the very young are believed so implicitly.
I am interested—intrigued even—by the way time erases real lives, leaving only vague imprints. Blood and spirit fade away so that only names and dates remain.
But of course, those who live in memories are never really dead.
It is our habit, after church, to walk the short distance to the High Street for morning tea at Maggie's. We always go to Maggie's, though Maggie herself left town with a suitcase and her best friend's husband many years ago.
I understand well the peculiar guilt of tragedy's survivors.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Originally published in Australia as "The Shifting Fog." Name changed to "The House at Riverton" for publication in the UK and US.
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Wikipedia in English (2)

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.

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Book description
A story of love, mystery, and a secret history revealed. 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, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid at Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken and old 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.
Haiku summary
Secrets aplenty
In the house at Riverton.
All will be revealed.
(passion4reading)

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