You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Lisa and myself plan to read The Distant Hours in April. Feel free to join!

We haven't picked a specific date yet, depending on who else wants to join we can look for a date in April that is most suitable.

Edit: We'll start April 25!

I've read it otherwise I would join in. :)

Thanks for setting up the thread, Peggy! Anytime in April is good for me.

I've already read it, but I'll jump here to read your comments and dip my nacho too. :)

Only Kate Morton book I have left to read.. Would love to read it with you all in April!

Glad to have you with us, Chelsea!

Welcome Chelsea! It's also the only one I have still left. What did you think of the others? I'm assuming you liked them or you wouldn't be here ;-)

Oh yes, I love Kate Morton! She is probably my favorite author. I just recently discovered her and have devoured all of her books ( only one left is the distant hours) . Her writing is just beautiful. She could describe a rock and make it sound like the most beautiful thing in the world!

I bought it today. Can't the woman write shorter books?

Lol Cherie! She does seem to have a 500 page minimum limit. But I have to say there are 200 page books that took me longer to get through than her 600. They never feel that long.

Cherie wrote: "I bought it today. Can't the woman write shorter books?"

Maybe she gets paid by the page? ;)

Lol, Cherie. With such intricate plots and such wordy style, I'm not expecting a book of less than 500 pages in the future neither. :)

Lisa, Cherie, Chelsea, do you have a preference for when to start?

Doesn't matter to me.

Anytime is good for me.

The buddy read for The Clockwork Scarab starts April 12. It would be really nice if the buddy read for the Distant Hours was at least a week before or after April 12. I have my copy of the Distant Hours, so any time works for me. But after doing simultaneous buddy reads for The Lake House and Cockroaches, I would rather have things a little more spread out in April.

Just to throw a date out there, how about starting April 23rd? Would that be good for everyone?

If it's before or after April 12, I would prefer a week before. I'm on a long weekend away to Rome from April 21 to 25, and don't think I will get much, if any, reading done. I could join in on the 26th but I like it much better if I can read along with you all instead of being way behind :)

Oh nevermind, just realized that I'm at a conference April 6-8 and also won't be able to read/discuss much if we started on the 5th.

Anytime in April works for me !

Okay, with that in mind, how about Monday 25th April as a start date?

That will work for me!

That will work for me :)

That will work for me too!

Monday April 25th works for me, too.

Great! Can't wait

Did anyone start already? I read the first few chapters on the plane today. It feels a bit different from other Morton stories, maybe because it's in first person and starts in the present. Was this her first book?

What happened to Edie's mom in the war? (view spoiler)[ were children taken away to help other families and brought back to their own later? (hide spoiler)]

Did you enjoy your trip to Rome, Peggy?

I started a bit earlier today. I have only read the first two chapters so far but, like her previous works, it has pulled me in straight away. The writing is also as beautiful as ever. I agree, it does feel a bit different to her other stories. Hopefully that will be a good thing. I remember when we read 'The Lake House' that we were slightly worried that her books could become a bit samey, so it's quite nice that she has mixed things up a bit and used first person narrative. This is her third book, I believe.

(view spoiler)[I'm really curious about what happened to Edie's mum during the war too. That letter certainly gave her a shock and you can tell that she is hiding something from Edie. I'm also wondering why she lied to Edie and told her that she had never been back to Milderhurst Castle when she not only had been back herself but had taken Edie along with her? Surely there was a part of her that would know that Edie would remember something eventually? Unless she wants her daughter to find out everything for herself? (hide spoiler)]

Peggy wrote: "Did anyone start already? I read the first few chapters on the plane today. It feels a bit different from other Morton stories, maybe because it's in first person and starts in the present. Was thi..."

Peggy, during the war the children were "evacuated," i.e. moved from the City of London to the countryside, to keep them from being hit by the bombs being dropped on London. The children went to stay with families willing to take them in. Of course, while they were there, they were expected to help the people who took them in, but the purpose of the evacuation was to keep the kids safe.

I've started, but I have only read the first chapter.

I have read a few more chapters. I am at the beginning of the chapter called 'The Empty Attic and the Distant Hours' (page 81).

This has a more Gothic feel to it than some of Morton's other works, which I am enjoying. I love all the descriptions of Milderhurst Castle, it comes across as really mysterious and brooding.

(view spoiler)[When Edie first visited Mrs Bird to ask for a tour, I actually thought for a moment that her pet canary was speaking! I was thinking, "that is one clever bird, knowing all those words". Lol. Luckily it turned out to be her husband, or at least, I assume he is her husband.

I am very intrigued by the 'Mystery of the Mud Man' and what the real mystery surrounding the story is. I am also very curious about the castle and its inhabitants. They don't seem to have been a very lucky family, what with the early deaths of Raymond Blythe's wives in tragic circumstances, the death of his youngest brother in a fall, his mother committing suicide and Robert himself dying in similar circumstances to his brother. It's almost like the family and/or the castle are cursed.

I'm also wondering about the tapping noises that Edie heard coming from above whilst on her tour. Percy dismissed them as mice moving through the "veins" of the castle but I'm not so sure. Wasn't there a passage from the 'Mud Man' which described someone being locked away? Is that the truth, or at least part of the truth, behind the fiction? Was someone, in true Jane Eyre style, once locked away somewhere in the castle? Is someone still locked away? (hide spoiler)]

So far, so enjoyable.

Lisa, re your spoiler in Message 28 (view spoiler)[ I could see Edie's mum saying she had not been back to Milderhurst Castle because she had not been back inside the Castle, although she got as far as the gates and took a much younger Edie with her. (hide spoiler)]

I've gotten as far as the Chapter where Edie meets the three sisters. I'm somewhere around page 60, so not caught up to Lisa yet.

Casceil wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Did anyone start already? I read the first few chapters on the plane today. It feels a bit different from other Morton stories, maybe because it's in first person and starts in the pr..."

Thanks, that makes sense. It seemed like it wasn't done in agreement with the parents though, is that true?

I prefer books with chapter numbers for discussion, it makes it easier to see where I am in comparison with others. Edie has just met Percy.

I like that it is a bit different in style from her other books, but that it still has me intrigued after a few chapters and already raises many questions. Lisa, on your comment 28: (view spoiler)[ I wondered that too but perhaps Edie was still so young that her mom didn't think she would remember? Or maybe her mom had forgotten that Edie was there so she lied? She seemed a bit 'out of it' in Edie's memory of the visit. (hide spoiler)]

Peggy wrote: "Casceil wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Did anyone start already? I read the first few chapters on the plane today. It feels a bit different from other Morton stories, maybe because it's in first person and ..."

I don't think a lot of parents wanted to send their children away but it was being done for their safety so they didn't really have many other choices or options. As for where their children ended up and who they stayed with, they didn't get a say in that. It must have been terrifying for everyone involved. Most child evacuees stayed within the UK but some were evacuated abroad to places such as Canada, Australia and South Africa.

I found a bit more information in wikipedia. I wonder whether the government would still be able to pull something like that off.

Peggy, re: message 32. If you're referring to the mothers running to the train and demanding their kids back, I assumed those were parents who initially agreed and then changed their minds after the kids were on the train.

Probably Casceil. I found it hard to imagine the government doing that without any notice or consent. It seemed that way a little though because of the parents and the way the children were rounded up at school.

I'm now where you were before Lisa, (view spoiler)[ the tour of the house. The house definitely has secrets! I also wonder about that sound, I don't believe they're mice. That passageway will probably play a role in the story, and I'm curious about Raymond too. Several references to him are made but they only raise questions. (hide spoiler)]

I am now up to chapter 'SIX' (page 163). (view spoiler)[We have now gone back in time to the year 1941 and the narrative has switched to Morton's favoured third person. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I have noticed that the old, dried up moat surrounding the castle has been mentioned a few times. I'm assuming that means it is significant somehow. It's interesting how the attic windows are directly above it... Thinking back to the excerpt from the 'Mud Man' in the prologue, the Mud Man has a human face when he appears at the girl's window. It's almost like he is a normal human who was buried in the mud rather than a monster. I'm starting to wonder if someone is actually buried in the old moat and that they either fell, or were pushed, from the attic window and drowned in the mud. The moat is completely dry and grassed over now but it could have easily have been in the process of drying out in 1941, in which case it would probably have been little more than a load of wet, sticky mud.

I felt really sorry for Juniper when Edie first met her in the castle and she was wearing the dress that Saffy altered for her. It reminded me a bit of 'Great Expectations'. I think Edie is right, she is ill but she is not suffering from dementia. I wonder why her lover left her? Also, what part did Meredith play in it all? It sounds like she was Juniper's only friend and Juniper clearly thinks, or knows, that she betrayed her somehow. Percy and Saffy know the truth, I think and are obviously trying to keep it hidden but is that purely for Juniper's sake or for their own as well? So many questions!

In 1941, why did Mrs Potts know so much more about Juniper and Tom and their potential plans than Percy and Saffy did? Juniper's letter didn't make any mention of an engagement. Does this mean that Juniper was confiding in Mrs Potts before she went to London? You would think she would confide in her sisters, they are meant to be close after all. Does anyone else get the feeling that the twins are secretly jealous of Juniper, Percy especially? (hide spoiler)]

Out of all Kate Morton's books, this has the lowest rating here on Goodreads and I know a few people who say it's their least favourite. I'm really enjoying it so far and if it carries on like this, I think I could end up liking it more than 'The Lake House' which is my least favourite at this point in time (I haven't read 'The Secret Keeper' yet). What do the rest of you think about it so far, in comparison to her other books?

I noticed that too Lisa. Of my GR friends only two have read it (Tasha and Sandra), and they gave it 3 and 4 stars. I think one of the criticisms on this book in general is that it is long and wordy and takes forever. The number of pages is not very different from Morton's other books, and I don't find it more wordy than her other books (that sounds negative, I like her writing style and descriptions and have never experienced it as wordy or long-winded), but I'm only 15% in so can't really say much yet.

I wanted to get more reading done yesterday evening but I have a really bad cold and my eyes and brain just couldn't focus on anything in print. Today is a day off in the Netherlands but I planned on working a little.

I hope you feel better soon, Peggy!

At this stage, I would say that the overall setting up of the story is taking a bit longer than some of her previous books but I wouldn't say it is more descriptive or long-winded than any of the others. It will be interesting to see if that changes as we get further through.

As I said previously, the thing I am enjoying the most about it is the different feel and tone. I think it has a darker atmosphere from her other books yet at the same time, it still feels distinctly 'Kate Morton'. I just hope that things don't become too familiar later on.

I've read a bit more, I am now up to chapter 'ONE' - September 4th, 1939 (page 268).

Although I am still enjoying it, I do have a few problems with it now. (view spoiler)[Firstly, the pace doesn't seem to have picked up at all. Kate Morton's books can be quite slow paced but I feel as though this is still setting things up, despite the fact that I am almost at the 40% mark. Not a lot seems to have happened in either time period. Secondly, quite a bit of time is being spent with Edie in 1992 and as with 'The Lake House', I am not finding that side of things as interesting as the stuff set in the past. I want to know what her mum's involvement in the mystery of 1941 was, but at the moment, the only revelation there has been on that front is that she was in love with Thomas Cavill and sadly, that didn't come as much of a surprise.

Speaking of Thomas Cavill, all the signs are pointing towards him being murdered. Percy seems the most likely culprit seeing as how Saffy found her walking back into the kitchen soaking wet and covered in mud and leaves on the night he was supposed to come to dinner. However, whose to say that it wasn't Saffy or even Meredith? There is a small chance that it could have been Juniper but she seemed to love him deeply so I think it's unlikely that she killed him. Unless she discovered his affair with Meredith and that pushed her over the edge completely?

Percy has got to be the least likely Ambulance Service volunteer ever. She doesn't seem to have much compassion or sympathy for anyone outside her immediate family. Also, what happened between her and their former housekeeper, Lucy? Lucy seemed almost afraid of her when she bumped into her after she helped Saffy with the cooking. Did Percy just take the news of her resignation really, really badly or is there something more? Percy seems to have a temper on her so it wouldn't surprise me if she lashed out at Lucy or threw something at her in a rage. (hide spoiler)]

I would love to read your spoilers Lisa, but I'm still at the 15%.

I'm at p. 92--the chapter "1" that is set in 1941. It looks like the book is in parts, and each part ends with some numbered chapters. I do think this book has gotten off to a slower start than other Kate Morton books I've read. I felt like the whole first 90 pages was set-up, and I'm just getting to the "real" story--what happened during WWII. I hope to read some more this evening, but I'm not feeling as caught up in this book as I did in Lake House.

I'm also at the chapter titled ONE in 1941. I enjoyed this first part, didn't find it too long. I usually want the present day stories to be as short as possible but even though this wasn't so short I enjoyed it. Also happy to be going to the past now though!

The table of contents in my ebook only says part 1, 2, 3 and 4, but not the separate chapters.

I have finished Part One, and I have read Lisa's spoiler at message 39. (view spoiler)[ Lisa has an interesting theory about the mud man and the moat. I wondered about the timing, though. I think the Mud Man was written when the older sisters were teenagers. I'm not sure when the moat was filled in, but one of the older sisters remembers her mom swimming in it.

There are a number of interesting hints in the 1941 section. Percy has received a letter from her cousin, but is careful (or tries to be) not to let Saffy know about it. She forgets and leaves it in a trouser pocket, but remembers when talking to Saffy about the shortage of men to marry. Saffy says there was only one man she wanted to marry, and Percy remembers the letter. So did the cousin steal the man Saffy was in love with? Also in this part, Percy hears a noise and wonders if it could be the caretakers. Isn't that what they called the noises in the attic that are supposed to be mice? (hide spoiler)]

I'm about to start FIVE.

It feels like this book so far has fewer 'wow!! I need to talk about this in te buddy read right now!' moments than other Morton books. Yes, I have questions and there's clearly a lot of mystery, maybe that is what others have described as slower to get started.

I like getting to know the three sisters, specifically Percy and Saffy in these chapters. When Edie met the sisters she already noticed (view spoiler)[ a difference between the two, and I like how different they are personality-wise despite being twins. It feels like I'm really getting to know them. I'm looking forward to Juniper arriving home. (hide spoiler)]

I finally got a chance to start. I just finished the first two chapters and am on page 30.

I like it. The story in the prolog was beautiful.
Funny how those memories, like the sound her mother made come back to you.

I like the story in the prologue too, Cherie :) I almost missed it! For some reason, my ereader always starts books at the first chapter, so I don't have to swipe through the cover page, copyright page etc. I don't like it, so I always go back to page 1, and good thing I did, because it skipped the story of the mud man too.

I'm about to start NINE in Part 1. Funny how (view spoiler)[that clock that was 10 minutes off when Edie visited was already 10 minutes off in 1941.

The sisters seem to have secrets from each other too. I wonder why Percy was so upset about Lucy, is it really her following her heart instead of staying in the castle, or is there more to it? The castle does seem very important to Percy and she's very loyal to it. And that letter she got from her cousin, I wonder what happened to Saffy cannot know they're still in touch. And then Juniper, not telling her sisters anything about the guy she met. (hide spoiler)]

I like the 'Mud Man' story too. When I read the prologue, I found myself wishing that it was a real story. If it was, I would definitely read it.