Front Page

I love me a big ole historical novel, especially if it’s steeped in a mystery, set in an old house with an abandoned garden and filled with colorful and compelling characters.  Kate Morton has written four such big, addictive books, of which I’ve only read two…but don’t worry her other two are not far behind on my list.  I read the first book several years ago and just finished the second.

The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton

98 year old Grace tells her story to a young film maker documenting an unexplained death at Riverton House where Grace served as a maid 80 years before.  Told in alternating narratives between past and present, I was in this book’s clutches after just a few pages.

Grace serves as maid to Hannah and Emmeline, two distinctly different sisters who are creepily close to one another. Grace is drawn into the the spoiled sisters web of deceit and secret games.   And in 1924 Riverton and its inhabitants are shattered with a shocking suicide on the grounds.  All the characters are vibrant and amply developed — there are dysfunctional aristocratic family members with a range of servants, each with their own foibles.  And then there’s the glorious manor house of Riverton– a character in itself.

Often flashback narrative can be clunky. This is flashback done brilliantly.  Deaths, affairs, missteps are reminisced by Grace telling her story, then the book seamlessly transports the reader back in time to Riverton and you’re there and it’s happening now.

Ms. Morton excels at period research and her attention to detail is superb. Other reviewers remarked that her historical detail bogged down the book, but I wholly disagree.  I found the description of the table settings, the details of dressing for dinner, the lavish picnics all added to the richness of the story.

This is a long, sweeping story of class structure and struggle, betrayals, secrets and the devastation of WWI. I was glued throughout its wonderful twists and turns until the gasp-worthy ending.  A big enchanting book to fill many a long winter evening.

###################################

 The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton

This is a classic fairy tale story:  a little girl is abandoned on a ship bound for Australia.  She hits her head while on the ship and looses her memory.  All she has with her is a suitcase with a few clothes and a book of dark fairy tales written by a woman she remembers as the Authoress . Once in Australia, a dock worker and his wife take her in, name her Nell and raise her.  Once the girl comes of age, she is told of her rightful identity and she returns to England to discover her people and her story.  

Her travels lead her to Blackhurst Manor and she starts to unravel the Mountrachet family’s secrets.  She purchases a run down cottage and garden on their property makes it liveable, and carves out a life for herself.  While Nell is still trying to solve the mystery of her past, her distraught daughter shows up, dumping her granddaughter Cassandra on her doorstep–permanently. Two generations later, the granddaughter Cassandra inherits the cottage and tries to discover her secrets.  Sounds trite — Yes and No.

Ms. Morton takes a fairly well-worn story and weaves it into a rich and compelling story which spans generations, and multiple plots wherein secrets are kept and betrayals are just below the surface.  While the English cottage and forgotten garden setting are idyllic (there’s even a maze and a Dickensian-like shop in the village) life is more difficult here and this is a darker story complete with poverty, sickness and workhouses.

At first, I was less enthralled with The Forgotten Garden and found it more difficult to keep the three perspectives and three time periods straight…I kept having to go back a few chapters to figure out where I was.  Also Ms. Morton uses very similar names – Blackhurst Estate, Mrs. Blackwell and Mr. Blackwater  (whoa I’m confused…).  Luckily, by the time I’d read 5 or 6 chapters,  things flowed more clearly and I was once again hooked to the end by this marvelous author and her writing.    

In an interview, Ms. Morton admitted to a fondness of 19th century Gothic novels and her novels are indeed reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier, or even perhaps even Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey. 

 Her next two books – The Distant Hours and The Secret Keeper happily await me on my shelf.  Call me fool and shut the door because obviously I’m a fan.

By the Book:  Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from the New York Times Book Review

My friend Reiko saves me her Sunday NY Times Book Review section and gives me a big stack of them whenever we get together. We laugh because we can judge how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other by the size of the accumulation.

One of my favorite sections of the NY Times Book Review is called “By the Book”, wherein a writer is interviewed about their reading.  Each week we get a view into writers favorite books & writers, reading habits, their personal book collection, early childhood reads, etc.

The top interviews are gathered in this one book and while there’s nothing new here, I found it engrossing to read through them.  At almost 300 pages and 65 writers interviewed it’s no quick read.  I’ve been slowly savoring this book, making my way through this fascinating collection, underlining and making long lists of newly recommended books to read (like I really need more lists of books to read).

Included in the collection are interviews with the expected writers such as Anna Quindlen and John Irving, but also included are Sting and Arnold Schwarzenegger?  (The question mark is mine.)  But don’t let that dissuade you, this is a fascinating look at writers and their life with books. And, hey guess what? — the Arnold interview reveals he is surprisingly insightful.

When more than three of the authors listed the Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn as their favorites, I had to add them to my list.   It was also comforting to see that several writers also found the classics tough going – Dickens, Tolstoy etc. 

You’ll discover the vulnerabilities of some writers — who knew Hilary Mantel actively reads self help books or Anne Lamott secretly likes People and US Weekly?

Many writers are delightfully unpretentious in their reading choices.  Jhumpa Lahiri states:  I am drawn to any story that makes me want to read from one sentence to the next.  I have no other criterion.  And Scott Turow,  The only unfailing criterion is that I can hitch my heart to the imagined world and read on.  My favorite quote is from Isabel Allende.  A good novel or short story is like making love between clean ironed sheets: total pleasure.

Hilary Mantel wishes for a magic tablecloth to appear with dinner all prepared so she can have more time to read.  Sting has kept every book he’s ever read and doesn’t lend books. Scott Turow admits to “reading at” a book, putting it down and then months later picking it up and diving in with enormous enthusiasm. 

Jeanette Walls lists her favorite memoirs, which is like getting a food critics top restaurants.

And there’s lots of chuckles:   under “The last book that made you cry” – Jeffery Eugenides answers The South Beach Diet. 

Then there’s this:  James Patterson talks about his first Alex Cross book, “Along Came a Spider.” He said a movie studio would have optioned the book early on in his career, when he could have really used the money  –all he had to do was make Alex Cross a white man.

 I don’t recommend reading this book all at once.  Like the original interviews, it’s best to savor one or two at a time. 

Also this book should come with a warning:  Reading this book will increase your to-be-read wish list exponentially and may cause unbridled book purchases.   

Advanced Readers Copy provided by Henry Holt & Co.