Daily Books - The Clockmakers Daughter--A Novel​​​​​​​ by Kate Morton​​​​​​​ | Conversation Starters

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Kate Mortons

The Clockmakers Daughter

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Table of Contents

The Clockmakers Daughter is the latest novel of Kate Morton. It is hailed by critics and readers as an enchanting, lyrical, and mysterious work. Some 150 years ago, the painter Edward Radcliffe led his friends to the Birchwood Manor located along the banks of the Upper Thames river intending to spend the summer month in seclusion to focus on their artistic works. But many things happen during those fateful days. A woman gets killed and another one is missing. A priceless heirloom disappears, and Radcliffe's life is never the same again. A century and a half later, Elodie Winslow, an archivist who works in London, discovers a leather satchel with an old photograph of a woman in Victorian clothes and a drawing of a large old house situated along a river. Elodie feels something is drawing her to Birchwood Manor. It reminds her of a story her mother used to tell her when she was a small girl. She needs to know who the woman in the photo is and why the manor has secrets that need to be solved. She resolves to travel to visit the house which could uncover some mystery about her mother too. Elodie is engaged to be married to Alastair, a very unlikeable, manipulative man who is beholden to his mother. As she uncovers the manor's secrets, she realizes she needs to extricate herself from her engagement. Elodie is not aware of her own connections to Birchwood Manor. Unknown to her, her family is part of the story. Her own investigations will soon have an effect on her life and on her future.

Readers come to understand that the effects of that weekend a long time ago continue to be felt in the present. The events of that weekend draw later generations and change their lives. Described as a multi-layered literary novel, the story is unraveled slowly and the reader does not have to reach the final pages in order to know what happened. The author weaves stories of families and strangers who are drawn to the manor. Secrets are told and are built upon other secrets. The novel has many layered stories covering the decades involved. The narrative moves back and forth in time. It takes some time to for the stories to come together but once it does, the narrative quickens its pace. All the different stories are crucial to the whole narrative. Some critics say the weaving of the stories is beautifully done, with the authors writing equally superb in portraying characters and images.

The primary narrator is a ghost but the story is told through different personalities who come from different time spans. The ghost's memories provide the context. The first time setting in the story happens in the summer of 1862. The narrative then moves through different periods of the late 1850's, 1860's, post World War I, World War II, and then 2017. Aside from Elodie and Edward Radcliffe, the characters include an archeologist and a pickpocket. Many other characters are introduced but remain undeveloped, according to a Goodreads reader. The manor is considered a character as well. It holds spirits within its walls and reveals its own secrets only if it chooses to. Often, it takes many years before its secrets are unraveled to those who want to know. It has an impact on the people who live in it, particularly on Elodie and Edward. There is the question of who the clockmaker's daughter is and readers are kept in suspense as to who she is. She is the unnamed narrator though she is known by her nickname Birdie. The novel is described as a murder mystery and historical fiction with the element of the fantastic and gothic. The novel is cited for its use of historical detail. Its lyricism is likewise an enchanting element. Its themes include that of love, loss, art, and betrayal. The novel also explores the way lives and places become the stuff of legends. The New York Journal of Books cites the importance of the manor in the narrative:

Nothing about this is spooky or suggestive of paranormal or horror genres. Rather, the emotional intensity of the houses history makes it seem reasonable that a place can become impregnated by human essence. The Washington Post review says the novels elaborate tapestry is not necessarily a good thing as the story devolves into an increasingly tedious, convoluted affair. The review concludes that readers who can navigate the labyrinthine novel will be rewarded. A Goodreads reviewer had a difficult time following the narrative timeline and the characters are not easy to connect with. She thinks this novel is different from the other novels of the author. Booklist review says the novel is the authors most ambitious project so far. Her novel shows that history is not a straight line but an intricate, infinite web. Bookreporter.com says the novel is multi-layered, citing the authors plotting and storytelling: Its the kind of book you want to really focus on as you read it, and savor every last detail as it unfolds.

The Clockmakers Daughter is an instant New York Times bestseller. All of Mortons five other books are bestsellers including The Lake House and The Distant Hours.