THE DISTANT HOURS by KATE MORTON

THE DISTANT HOURS

BY KATE MORTON

THE BLURB:-

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long-lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon, with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed upon its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother's emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie's mother was chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe and taken to live at Milderhurst Castle by the Blythe family.

Fifty years later, Edie too is drawn to the castle and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother's past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

THE REALITY:-

Kate Morton writes in a fascinating way, in layer upon layer of information that slips seamlessly from wartime to 1992, from the deep perspective of one character to another. She also adds the “fictional” writings of the Sisters Blythe's father, Raymond Blythe- these seem so real that you find yourself questioning whether the man actually existed!

I can really identify with the main character Edie: a creative woman who lives within her own head, as many imaginative people do. She is someone who's a book person (to the point of being obsessed by books) rather than a people person. The 1990s sections are all via Edie's voice and written in the first person, which gives a lovely contrast to the other parts of the novel and helps the reader to avoid confusion.

The novel also deals with the difficulties that lie within families, such as being the one member who doesn't fit in with the rest, the lack of closeness that can exist between mother and daughter (noted in both the modern and historical sections) and the way mental illness can be passed down through the generations.

This is a meaty tome of a book for serious readers, and not for the fainthearted! But it will draw you in and not let you get away. A must for those of you who love stories regarding mysterious, whispering buildings that contain deep secrets and fascinating occupants within their walls. I seriously recommend this novel as it drew me in and wouldn't let me leave until the very last end.