Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
3.5 Stars
This mystery/family drama has a dual timeline: 1959 and 2018.
In 1959, in a small town in South Australia, a man discovers Isabel Turner and three of her children dead. The youngest, an infant, is missing. In 2018, Jess Turner-Bridges leaves her home in London and returns to Sydney when she learns that her grandmother Nora, the woman who raised her since she was 10, is seriously ill in hospital. In her grandmother’s home, Jess finds a book which reveals that her family is connected to the 1959 tragedy, some details of which have not been satisfactorily resolved. Thus begins a journey that uncovers several family lies and secrets.
The pace is problematic. At 560 pages, the book is fairly lengthy and begins very slowly. The middle is bogged down with the inclusion of too many perspectives, including a book within a book, which result in unnecessary repetition. Irrelevant backstories of minor characters are included. Only in the latter part does the pace pick up. Then the number of revelations piles up to the point of feeling excessive.
Part of the mystery is predictable; I know many readers will guess a key element very early on. There are, however, some plot twists. The ending does explain behaviours and reactions which struck me as unusual or illogical when they were first mentioned. It’s just unfortunate that the book takes so long to get to explaining so much of what happened.
I did not like the over-reliance on serendipity, the occurrence of events by chance in a beneficial way. The death of a solicitor, for instance, is certainly convenient. It’s amazing how many things are found at the perfect time. A gift lost in 1959 is found 30 years later “’just lying there’”? Jess receives a parcel at just the right time and discovers hidden pages and a hidden letter just when their information is most needed. I have difficulty believing that removing a few pages from a journal would eliminate all references to a life-altering relationship. Yet the discovery of a burial 20 years later doesn’t raise questions in the person who deliberately did not bury what is discovered?
The book certainly emphasizes the impact of secrets and lies. At the end the reader is influenced to reflect on how lives and relationships would have been very different if secrets had not been kept and lies not told. “The chief storyteller” in the family is responsible for so much: destroying relationships and damaging people. Jess’s conclusion that “it was impossible to feel angry” with this person responsible for “acidic family secrets” is simplistic.
Characters are well-developed. What is interesting is that the reader’s opinion of several characters changes in the course of novel. Characters often prove to be better or worse than first impressions suggest. The one character whom I did not like is Jess. For someone who is almost 40, she seems immature, willing to forgive one person but reluctant to forgive another. Her behaviour while Nora is in the hospital (showing up late for visits) doesn’t jive with her supposed love for her grandmother.
As an avid reader, I loved the references to how a love of reading impacts the lives of several characters. Relationships are formed and lives are changed because of a love of books and reading. I can certainly identify with "the lightness of spirit and free-floating sense of possibility” felt in new books awaiting my attention.
There is a good story here, but it could use some judicious revising and editing.
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
This mystery/family drama has a dual timeline: 1959 and 2018.
In 1959, in a small town in South Australia, a man discovers Isabel Turner and three of her children dead. The youngest, an infant, is missing. In 2018, Jess Turner-Bridges leaves her home in London and returns to Sydney when she learns that her grandmother Nora, the woman who raised her since she was 10, is seriously ill in hospital. In her grandmother’s home, Jess finds a book which reveals that her family is connected to the 1959 tragedy, some details of which have not been satisfactorily resolved. Thus begins a journey that uncovers several family lies and secrets.
The pace is problematic. At 560 pages, the book is fairly lengthy and begins very slowly. The middle is bogged down with the inclusion of too many perspectives, including a book within a book, which result in unnecessary repetition. Irrelevant backstories of minor characters are included. Only in the latter part does the pace pick up. Then the number of revelations piles up to the point of feeling excessive.
Part of the mystery is predictable; I know many readers will guess a key element very early on. There are, however, some plot twists. The ending does explain behaviours and reactions which struck me as unusual or illogical when they were first mentioned. It’s just unfortunate that the book takes so long to get to explaining so much of what happened.
I did not like the over-reliance on serendipity, the occurrence of events by chance in a beneficial way. The death of a solicitor, for instance, is certainly convenient. It’s amazing how many things are found at the perfect time. A gift lost in 1959 is found 30 years later “’just lying there’”? Jess receives a parcel at just the right time and discovers hidden pages and a hidden letter just when their information is most needed. I have difficulty believing that removing a few pages from a journal would eliminate all references to a life-altering relationship. Yet the discovery of a burial 20 years later doesn’t raise questions in the person who deliberately did not bury what is discovered?
The book certainly emphasizes the impact of secrets and lies. At the end the reader is influenced to reflect on how lives and relationships would have been very different if secrets had not been kept and lies not told. “The chief storyteller” in the family is responsible for so much: destroying relationships and damaging people. Jess’s conclusion that “it was impossible to feel angry” with this person responsible for “acidic family secrets” is simplistic.
Characters are well-developed. What is interesting is that the reader’s opinion of several characters changes in the course of novel. Characters often prove to be better or worse than first impressions suggest. The one character whom I did not like is Jess. For someone who is almost 40, she seems immature, willing to forgive one person but reluctant to forgive another. Her behaviour while Nora is in the hospital (showing up late for visits) doesn’t jive with her supposed love for her grandmother.
As an avid reader, I loved the references to how a love of reading impacts the lives of several characters. Relationships are formed and lives are changed because of a love of books and reading. I can certainly identify with "the lightness of spirit and free-floating sense of possibility” felt in new books awaiting my attention.
There is a good story here, but it could use some judicious revising and editing.
Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phew this book was rough. I started it in July and had to put it down and take a break. I generally don't do that but this book, I had such a hard time to get invested in. I don't want to say it was a bad book, but it was just so slow. It's a very long book with over 500 pages so for it to move so slow almost the whole book, that was very hard. The last hundred pages is really where it picked up and finally got me to the point where I didn't want to put it down. The hard part about the first half is that it has so much information that is a necessity for the end of the book it would be hard to get rid of any of it in order to make it an easier read.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely captivating. Such a complex story. Every time I thought I knew what had happened a twist was revealed.
Het leest als een trein, ik kan niet anders zeggen. Veel details, goed sfeerbeeld. Een gruwelijke familietragedie met kerst 1959 in Australië, en in 2018 een kleindochter die terug gaat naar Australië omdat haar oma in het ziekenhuis ligt en dan blijkt er een connectie te zijn.
Maar in een boek van 555 pagina's wist ik op pagina 230 al hoe het grootste deel in elkaar zat en daar kwam later nog wel wat informatie bij over wat iemand anders had gedaan, maar ik vind het niet fijn al halverwege te weten hoe iets zit.
Bovendien zijn er twee mensen die alle twee heel nare dingen doen en hier eigenlijk gewoon mee wegkomen en gewoon in hun bed overlijden. Ook daar heb ik moeite mee, ik houd er niet van als niemand ter verantwoording wordt geroepen en degenen die er uiteindelijk achter komen er verder een beetje aan voorbij gaan en het bagatalliseren met de dooddoener dat behoren tot een familie altijd lastig is. Verder vooral onaangename mensen, vooral Jess en Nora, die ik absolute egocentrische krengen vond. Ik had graag meer over Polly willen weten.
Kortom, het begon vrij goed, maar eindigde teleurstellend.
Maar in een boek van 555 pagina's wist ik op pagina 230 al hoe het grootste deel in elkaar zat en daar kwam later nog wel wat informatie bij over wat iemand anders had gedaan, maar ik vind het niet fijn al halverwege te weten hoe iets zit.
Bovendien zijn er twee mensen die alle twee heel nare dingen doen en hier eigenlijk gewoon mee wegkomen en gewoon in hun bed overlijden. Ook daar heb ik moeite mee, ik houd er niet van als niemand ter verantwoording wordt geroepen en degenen die er uiteindelijk achter komen er verder een beetje aan voorbij gaan en het bagatalliseren met de dooddoener dat behoren tot een familie altijd lastig is. Verder vooral onaangename mensen, vooral Jess en Nora, die ik absolute egocentrische krengen vond. Ik had graag meer over Polly willen weten.
Kortom, het begon vrij goed, maar eindigde teleurstellend.
Not as good as all her previous books. A little bit disappointing.
I love Kate Morton so much so I am shocked to be giving this one a 2-star rating but dang, this one was a huge flop for me.
Issues:
1. Could have used heavy editing - way too many side stories that didn't have much to offer. I didn't get into it until ~250 pages in, when we started to get to know the Turner children better, and I didn't end up feeling like it was worth the 500+ page investment.
2. I loathed Nora more and more as the book continued. How did she go from doting on Polly to manipulating her into giving up a relationship with her fiancee and basically stealing Jess from her?! The way she treats Polly when Polly asks completely natural questions about her father is downright abusive. And it seems implied that she actually made up the story about both Isabel and Polly holding a pillow over the crib like they were going to smother their respective babies? How would a person do that to their beloved, cherished daughter? She's unhinged! It seems intentional on Morton's part that one ends up hating her, but it doesn't make any sense with the way Jess describes her. And frankly Jess is kind of annoying, too.
3. Was it supposed to be a twist that Polly was actually Thea? Because that was clear from the start. All that needed to be cleared up was how exactly Nora ended up getting her from the picnic, and several things about that were extremely frustrating, including the fact that although they had talked openly, Percy seems to have decided not to tell Marcus that Thea was ok once he knew for sure, despite knowing Marcus was wracked with guilt thinking she had been eaten by dogs.
4. The biggest issue of all - Meg. There's absolutely no way this empathetic woman beloved by the entire town a) decided to murder her husband's mistress in the first place and b) after accidentally killing a woman and all her children, carried on with her life as if nothing happened, without her family realizing something was seriously wrong. How would a kind, empathetic woman like Meg be able to live with herself? It's ridiculous.
Again, I love most of Morton's other books, but the theme of this one seemed to be characters who behave in ways that make no sense for the way they're otherwise portrayed. Hope her next one is better!
Issues:
1. Could have used heavy editing - way too many side stories that didn't have much to offer. I didn't get into it until ~250 pages in, when we started to get to know the Turner children better, and I didn't end up feeling like it was worth the 500+ page investment.
2. I loathed Nora more and more as the book continued. How did she go from doting on Polly to manipulating her into giving up a relationship with her fiancee and basically stealing Jess from her?! The way she treats Polly when Polly asks completely natural questions about her father is downright abusive. And it seems implied that she actually made up the story about both Isabel and Polly holding a pillow over the crib like they were going to smother their respective babies? How would a person do that to their beloved, cherished daughter? She's unhinged! It seems intentional on Morton's part that one ends up hating her, but it doesn't make any sense with the way Jess describes her. And frankly Jess is kind of annoying, too.
3. Was it supposed to be a twist that Polly was actually Thea? Because that was clear from the start. All that needed to be cleared up was how exactly Nora ended up getting her from the picnic, and several things about that were extremely frustrating, including the fact that although they had talked openly, Percy seems to have decided not to tell Marcus that Thea was ok once he knew for sure, despite knowing Marcus was wracked with guilt thinking she had been eaten by dogs.
4. The biggest issue of all - Meg. There's absolutely no way this empathetic woman beloved by the entire town a) decided to murder her husband's mistress in the first place and b) after accidentally killing a woman and all her children, carried on with her life as if nothing happened, without her family realizing something was seriously wrong. How would a kind, empathetic woman like Meg be able to live with herself? It's ridiculous.
Again, I love most of Morton's other books, but the theme of this one seemed to be characters who behave in ways that make no sense for the way they're otherwise portrayed. Hope her next one is better!
This book was so beautifully written and had me so wrapped up with the story that I would have a hard time letting it go when I had to put the book down. And you’ve got to love books that do that! But I’m not surprised because I have yet to read anything by Kate Morton that I haven’t loved. And this one just got added to that list.
If you like heavy description you will probably like this more than I did. The writing is fantastic, but I thought it was unnecessarily long. I liked the ending, but this was one I put down quite a bit and had to push through to finish.
This book was a fantastic read, full of realistic and relatable characters, red herrings and plot twists, beautiful world building and a wonderful flow to the story.
Each character was given ample attention, allowing me to fully appreciate and understand their personalities and why they did certain things. I loved that even though the story was written in 3rd person, I still felt the characters emotions through the descriptive writings.
At half way through the book, I thought I’d figured out the mystery, but the fact that I was slightly wrong made me love this book even more. There are lots of characters that you meet throughout the story which makes you forget tiny little details until they become very important later in the book. A reread to see all these small pieces of information as they occur is a MUST.
The only reason I haven’t given this book 5 stars is because I found the constant changing of both time and format a little distracting and disrupting to the flow of the otherwise perfect story. Although the time skipping and reading a book within a book makes perfect sense, I sometimes found myself flicking back to the beginning of the chapter to double check what time period I was reading in and trying to remember what characters knew what. That’s the only issue I had with this otherwise perfect book!
I highly recommend any reader picking up this book. You don’t need to be into mystery, crime or thrillers to enjoy it!
Each character was given ample attention, allowing me to fully appreciate and understand their personalities and why they did certain things. I loved that even though the story was written in 3rd person, I still felt the characters emotions through the descriptive writings.
At half way through the book, I thought I’d figured out the mystery, but the fact that I was slightly wrong made me love this book even more. There are lots of characters that you meet throughout the story which makes you forget tiny little details until they become very important later in the book. A reread to see all these small pieces of information as they occur is a MUST.
The only reason I haven’t given this book 5 stars is because I found the constant changing of both time and format a little distracting and disrupting to the flow of the otherwise perfect story. Although the time skipping and reading a book within a book makes perfect sense, I sometimes found myself flicking back to the beginning of the chapter to double check what time period I was reading in and trying to remember what characters knew what. That’s the only issue I had with this otherwise perfect book!
I highly recommend any reader picking up this book. You don’t need to be into mystery, crime or thrillers to enjoy it!