The House at Riverton

Summary (from the publisher): Grace Bradley was just a girl when she began working as a servant at Riverton House. For years, her life was inextricably tied up with the glamorous and eccentric Hartford family's daughters, Hannah and Emmeline. Then, at a glittering society party in the summer of 1924, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline, and only they - and Grace - knew the dark truth. 

Many years later, when Grace is living out her last days in a nursing home, she receives a visit from a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. The director takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories of the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege, of the vibrant twenties and of a stunning secret that Grace kept all her life. 

A vivid, page-turning tale of suspense and passion, The House at Riverton is marked by indelible characters and a breathtaking ending that readers won't soon forget. 

Review: I love Kate Morton. This is the third book that I've read by her, but this was her debut novel. This novel is Downton Abbey meets Rebecca meets Ian McEwan's Atonement. It has all the classic elements of a modern day Gothic romance - a castle, a dark secret, spirited young women, and handsome but dangerous leading men. Grace, a former servant for the Hartford sisters of Riverton House, reflects on her life in service when she approached by a young director who is making a film based on historical events. Though now living in a nursing home in present day 1999, Grace tells her version of events when she was first a house maid and then a lady's maid for Hannah Hartford during the first world war and afterwards. 

Maybe because of my current obsession with all things Downton Abbey, I really enjoyed the perspective of the Hartford sisters' drama from the perspective of their servant, Grace. (And it has precedence in Gothic classics like Wuthering Height's narrator, servant Nelly Dean.)  I found Grace's tale very historically accurate, especially her dilemma over leaving service to marry Alfred or not, which would have been typical of the time period. I did wish we got to find out more about Grace's own family background, since her family and life after the conclusion of the Hartford sisters' story is only alluded to. I also liked the present day story of Grace mixed with the reflections of her past - it was nice to get to see that her life turned out happily even though her former employers did not.

Although slight, I can tell that this is Morton's first novel. Her later novels have slightly more convincing dialogue and plot - not at all a criticism, more like praise that I can tell that she continues to improve as a writer. I found the conclusion of the Hartford sisters quite depressing and a little too neatly disposed of. Additionally, I didn't think the grand secret was all that grand, although it was certainly upsetting.

A great historical fiction novel about illicit love and the intrigues of a wealthy British family. Can't wait for Morton's next novel to come out.

Stars: 4