Another unforgettable tale weaving together history and mystery from the bestselling author of the house at riverton and the forgotten garden. The distant hours by kate morton reading group guide this reading group guide for the distant hours includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The book gripped me on every page and would not let go, right up to the very end, where, just when you think its all been revealed, there is another extra little. Fans of morton and new readers alike will be delighted to uncover the truth of what happened in the distant hours of the past. If youre looking for a book to take you away from everything, this is perfect. In the grand and glorious milderhurst castle, a new world opens up for edies mother. Lots of surprises and all questions answered at the end. The distant hours by kate morton may 7, 2018 hey readers. A long lost letter arrives in the post and edie burchill finds. A long lost letter arrives in the post and edie burchill finds herself on a journey to middlhurst castle, a great but moldering old place, where the blythe spinsters live and where. It is half a century late and bears the return address of milderhurst. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
Indeed, i found the relationship between edie and her mother the most compelling feature of the distant hours. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. Distant hours is set in modern time and during wwii during the evacuations. The distant hours is an oldfashioned type of novel and i mean that as a real compliment.
In her youth, meredith has literary inclinations, and at milderhurst she is encouraged in this by the blythes until her rather unimaginative parents haul. The distant hours by kate morton is the first of mortons novels ive read. Kate morton is the awardwinning, new york times bestselling author of the house at riverton, the forgotten garden, the distant hours, the secret keeper, the lake house, and the clockmakers daughter. Twins, persephone and seraphina, and the youngest sister juniper. Buy the distant hours by kate morton online at alibris. A long lost letter arrives in the post and edie burchill finds herself on a journey to middlhurst castle, a great but moldering old place, where the blythe spinsters live. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
The trees of the deep, dark wood, shivering and jittering their leaves like papery hulls of beaten silver. The distant hours book by kate morton 18 available. The distant hours in very much in the style of the gothic novel and the extent to which you enjoy it is down to you. A letter points the way to a castle in kent, which harbors decades of grim secrets, in mortons latest the house at riverton, 2008, etc. The distant hours is saturated with the sights and sounds of country life during wartime, blitztorn london and the ghostly passageways of the decaying castle. The distant hours book surrey libraries bibliocommons. Im a fan of kate mortons work, so i was happy to settle down and read the distant hours. Find books like the distant hours from the worlds largest community of readers. Ive heard high praise for her earlier books, so when the opportunity to read the arc for the distant hours presented itself, i took it. This enthralling romantic thriller pays homage to the classics of gothic fiction, spinning a rich and intricate web of mystery, suspense, and lost.
A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for edie. Goodreads members who liked the distant hours also liked. As a sporadic gothic reader,this was a good yarn that kept me engaged although i must admit i occasionally dropped off and then spent ages looking for the last bit i recognised though not while i was in the car i might add. The distant hours book snoisle libraries bibliocommons. Readers familiar with the novels of kate morton will recognize her distinctive way of weaving disparate elements together to create an intriguing tale, as. Milderhurst castle takes on a life of its own and should be considered a main character in this book. The distant hours was yet another by this author that i couldnt put down. This summary of the distant hours includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the distant hours. This eagerly anticipated new novel from kate morton is out today. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are edith burchill, meredith baker. Line andersen andersen m studio photography and lighting. Everyone should read it and be surprised by the ending.
This just brought me even deeper into the story, where i felt as though i was a part of it. A letter that had been lost for a long time, waiting out half a century, stifling summer after cooling winter, in a forgotten postal bag in the dim attic of a nondescript house in bermondsey. Edie, a young woman underemployed by a london small press, is puzzled when her normally placid mother meredith receives a longdelayed letter and bursts into tears. The the distant hours community note includes chapterbychapter. Morton once again enthralls listeners with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling. An animation by andersen m studio design and animation.
Have you listened to any of caroline lees other performances. The distant hours by kate morton 562 pages published by atria in 2010 softcover received from santa. Beautifully written, you will be transformed to a place. The castle lies outside the village of milderhurst, england. The distant hours by kate morton, author of the bestselling the house of riverton, is a heartbreaking story of love and loss with a devastating secret at its heart edie burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of milderhurst castle, kent, printed on its envelope, edie begins to suspect that her. The hardback edition was published in the united kingdom by pan macmillan in november 2010, the paperback was published in 2011. A long lost letter arrives in the post and edie burchill finds herself on a journey. The truth of what happened in the distant hours of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it. Where does the distant hours rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. This book counts for the following reading challenge. She begins reading her favorite book to her father, the true history of the mud man. Free download or read online the distant hours pdf epub book.
Edie burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives one sunday afternoon. The the distant hours community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. She discovers the joys of books and fantasy and writing. Saffys trauma is made worse by the fame and success of the book and she recedes further into her life at the castle, causing her to lose. This is a gothic novel in the most classic and traditional sense. This story gives insight into the lives of the child evacuees and the people taking them in. I will always have a special place in my heart for this book. So no deep analysis on this weeks bookor at least less so than last weeks. The book is entitled the distant hours and it is the first book i have read by kate morton the castle is aptly named milderhurst, and the three sisters are the sisters blythe. Edie burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a longlost letter arrives one sunday afternoon, with the return address of milderhurst castle, kent, printed on its envelope, edie begins to suspect that her mothers emotional distance masks an old secret. I loved the whole idea of a childrens story being written in a castle, the sisters still alive and. Edie burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of milderhurst castle, kent, printed on its envelope, edie begins to suspect that her mothers. Kate morton grew up in the mountains of southeast queensland and lives now.
Toward the end, the whole story was coming together, some new aspects of it being uncovered on every page. My thoughts about this book there was one book by kate morton i had not read yet, and santa had the great idea to offer it to me. Yes its long but the way kate weaves the many strands together for a shocking finale was just genius to me. The distant hours, by kate morton, is part ghost story.
The book begins with arrival of a letter, sent during the second world war. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of milderhurst, and edie is about. The distant hours is a multigenerational puzzle complete with a decaying castle, hidden manuscripts and not one but two families with secrets. She is a native australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and english literature. Like mortons previous books, theres a gothic undertone to the book, but its never overt. I read the last hundred pages of the distant hours in the middle of a pretty intense storm. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The distant hours by kate morton, author of the bestselling the house of riverton, is a heartbreaking story of love and loss with a devastating secret at its heart. Their story is contrasted with that of edie, a young woman in 1992 who investigates the story. What was one of the most memorable moments of the distant hours. The distant hours is the third novel by australian author kate morton. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 562 pages and is available in hardcover format.
You can read the synopsis of the book for yourself. The first edition of the novel was published in november 2010, and was written by kate morton. A longlost letter arriving at its destination fifty years after it was sent lures edie burchill to crumbling milderhurst castle, home of the three elderly blythe sisters, where edies mother was sent to stay as a. The distant hours book by kate morton official publisher page. Thoughts on the distant hours by kate morton erin reads. Great plot filled with secrets across two generations, wonderful characters that you grow to care about and a great location a castle in england where it all comes together. The distant hours was a sunday times top ten bestseller in hardback. It also peek into life inside an ancient castle kept in the same family for generations. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The distant hours by kate morton edie burchill is staying with her mother meredith when a letter arrives in the post. The distant hours opens with a 50yearold lost letter arriving in the mail addressed to edie burchills mother, meredith. A long lost letter arrives in the post and edie burchill finds herself on a journey to milderhurst castle, a great but moldering old house, where the blythe spinsters. The distant hours book central rappahannock regional. The hardback edition was published in the united kingdom by pan macmillan in.
She is a native australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and english. Pdf the distant hours book by kate morton free download. The distant hours takes place in a crumbling old castle and features three elderly spinsters who harbor a dark secret dating from wwi. The distant hours has 18 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. She discovers the joys of books and fantasy and writing, but.
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group. 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 on its envelope, edie begins to suspect. At 670 pages, it isnt a book you can whizz through, nor is it an easy read. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the distant hours.