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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook performed by Caroline Lee.
In 1913 a little girl, only 4-years-old, is found alone on the wharf in Australia. She’s taken in by the portmaster and his wife, who are childless, and when no one comes to claim her they keep her and raise her as their own. Decades later her granddaughter tries to unravel the mystery of her grandmother’s origins.
What a magical story. The action moves back and forth in time, from the late 1800s to 1913 to 1975 to 2005. The four women central to the story are Nell, Cassandra, Eliza and Rose. Some of the sections are told from the perspective of a child, while others from the perspective of an adult. No one has the full story and anyone who has key elements is sworn to secrecy, so it’s a long, complicated and tangled tale that Cassandra tries to unravel and reveal.
I was engaged and interested from beginning to end. This is the first book by Kate Morton that I’ve read. It won’t be the last.
I don’t think I would have used the magical realism tag, but several other people have, probably because of the fairy tales that are a central plot point, and one brief mention of a ghost. (Eliza is an author and several of her fairy tales are related in the book; they are truly magical.)
Caroline Lee does a fantastic job of voicing the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to handle (most of them female) and I was never confused about who was speaking.
In 1913 a little girl, only 4-years-old, is found alone on the wharf in Australia. She’s taken in by the portmaster and his wife, who are childless, and when no one comes to claim her they keep her and raise her as their own. Decades later her granddaughter tries to unravel the mystery of her grandmother’s origins.
What a magical story. The action moves back and forth in time, from the late 1800s to 1913 to 1975 to 2005. The four women central to the story are Nell, Cassandra, Eliza and Rose. Some of the sections are told from the perspective of a child, while others from the perspective of an adult. No one has the full story and anyone who has key elements is sworn to secrecy, so it’s a long, complicated and tangled tale that Cassandra tries to unravel and reveal.
I was engaged and interested from beginning to end. This is the first book by Kate Morton that I’ve read. It won’t be the last.
I don’t think I would have used the magical realism tag, but several other people have, probably because of the fairy tales that are a central plot point, and one brief mention of a ghost. (Eliza is an author and several of her fairy tales are related in the book; they are truly magical.)
Caroline Lee does a fantastic job of voicing the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to handle (most of them female) and I was never confused about who was speaking.
jesslolsen's review against another edition
4.0
I found the first half of this book quite slow and unexciting. I nearly closed it up for good a few times but I’m glad I stuck with it because once the mystery started to come into focus a bit faster it was a really good story. I loved how the fairytales joined it all together and there were different experiences and times going on at the same time.
aprilbooth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heidi_mcj's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book and that is coming from a person who tends to stick to science fiction/fantasy stuff. It was very well written and kept me guessing till almost the end. I recommend it to everyone.
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
5.0
newer book by Kate Morton....try it after The House at Riverton?
I really liked this one! There's the obvious big mystery right from the beginning, but there are so many other secrets that appear and then are revealed along the way, that it kept my interest for every single page. And, I liked how the story was told in three different time periods, from different points of view, and how the people in the different times knew different parts of the story. A very enjoyable story-telling.
I really liked this one! There's the obvious big mystery right from the beginning, but there are so many other secrets that appear and then are revealed along the way, that it kept my interest for every single page. And, I liked how the story was told in three different time periods, from different points of view, and how the people in the different times knew different parts of the story. A very enjoyable story-telling.
jennshelfishlife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shareen17's review against another edition
5.0
The pacing of this book is so much better than her other book, The House at Riverton. Just an interesting story, well-told.
skytrenches's review against another edition
4.5
8.1 hr kobo.
Wow this was really good! I was a bit confused at first with the different time lines.... and it was kinda predictable but I really really love how it was written.
Wow this was really good! I was a bit confused at first with the different time lines.... and it was kinda predictable but I really really love how it was written.
nicole_jade's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5