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Original Essays | February 8, 2012

Kent Hartman: IMG A Raider by Any Other Name

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Perhaps you are aware of the fact that there is an oddly popular trivia game floating around that a group of clever (and likely bored) college... Continue »
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eBook editions

The Distant Hours

by Kate Morton

The Distant Hours Cover

ISBN13: 9781439152782
ISBN10: 1439152780
All Product Details

 

Awards

Staff Top 5s 2010 2010 Powell's Staff Top 5s
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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 live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13-year-old child during WW II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiancé jilted her in 1941.

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

Morton once again enthralls readers 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

Review:

"A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton (The Forgotten Garden). At crumbling Milderhurst Castle live elderly twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger half-sister, Juniper, the three eccentric spinster daughters of the late Raymond Blythe, author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic Edie adores. Juniper addressed the letter to Meredith, Edie's mother, then a young teen evacuated to Milderhurst during the Blitz. Edie, who's later invited to write an introduction to a reprint of Raymond's masterpiece, visits the seedily alluring castle in search of answers. Why was her mother so shattered by the contents of a letter sent 51 years earlier? And what happened to soldier Thomas Cavill, Juniper's long-missing fiancé and Meredith's former teacher? Despite the many competing narratives, the answers will stun readers." Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)

Synopsis:

The bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden offers another unforgettable tale weaving together history and mystery.
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About the Author

Kate Morton, a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland. She lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
writer_rider, December 31, 2011 (view all comments by writer_rider)
Perfect for my current Jane Eyre and Jane Eyre-type book fixation. The mystery of three sisters living in a castle estate is revealed slowly enough to keep you hooked - and at the same time, the main character who unravels the mystery learns a lot about herself. A book-lover's book and a perfect book for a dark and rainy day - or any day when you have the freedom to lose yourself in the pages of a good story.
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gaby317, March 5, 2011 (view all comments by gaby317)
In her third and latest novel, The Distant Hours, Kate Morton delivers an unforgettable tale that takes us to a great home in England around the time of World War II.

It opens with the delivery of a long lost letter which drives young Edie Burchill to investigate Milderhurst Castle, a once grand estate in England, where her mother had once been billeted as a thirteen-year-old girl during World War II. Edie is drawn to Milderhurst and its owners, the three Blythe sisters. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives protecting their youngest sister Juniper who hasn’t been the same since a fateful night in 1941. As Edie unravels the mystery of her mother’s stay at Milderhurst, she uncovers the truth behind the mysterious tragedies that have haunted the Blythe family for decades.

The Distant Hours is an engrossing read full of family secrets and betrayal- equal parts mystery and historical fiction.
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chocolateandcroissants, January 5, 2011 (view all comments by chocolateandcroissants)
One would have thought that the book was written for me. This book took me back to my childhood. I just loved this book. Morton has a wonderful way with words. The book will engross you from the first word. Read it if you can.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781439152782
Author:
Morton, Kate
Publisher:
Atria Books
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Publication Date:
20101131
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
576
Dimensions:
9 x 6 in
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Related Aisles

The Distant Hours New Hardcover
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$26.00 In Stock
Product details 576 pages Atria Books - English 9781439152782 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton (The Forgotten Garden). At crumbling Milderhurst Castle live elderly twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger half-sister, Juniper, the three eccentric spinster daughters of the late Raymond Blythe, author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic Edie adores. Juniper addressed the letter to Meredith, Edie's mother, then a young teen evacuated to Milderhurst during the Blitz. Edie, who's later invited to write an introduction to a reprint of Raymond's masterpiece, visits the seedily alluring castle in search of answers. Why was her mother so shattered by the contents of a letter sent 51 years earlier? And what happened to soldier Thomas Cavill, Juniper's long-missing fiancé and Meredith's former teacher? Despite the many competing narratives, the answers will stun readers." Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
"Synopsis" by , The bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden offers another unforgettable tale weaving together history and mystery.
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