Edwardian Immersion

Now that the Canada Reads shenanigans are over, (yes, I finally have Essex County. No, I haven't started it yet.) I can get back to my regularly scheduled reading. First up - one of the books I got for Christmas: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

I had never read any books by Morton before, but she is an excellent author. I really enjoyed The House at Riverton and want to read Morton's other books. Morton really gets the sense of time and place right, and creates nuanced and memorable characters.

The heroine of The House at Riverton is Grace, a young girl who becomes a maid in the manor of Riverton House, in England pre-WWI. The story of her time with the Hartford family is contrasted with Grace in the present-day as an old woman. From the very beginning you get the sense that Grace knows about a terrible secret involving the Hartford family. I had many guesses throughout the novel as to the nature of the secret, but I was completely surprised and shocked by the ending. I will not spoil the ending here, but suffice it to say that you will be amazed.

The House at Riverton was a really enjoyable book. I loved the contrast between Grace as a young girl and the present day Grace. There have been so many changes over the course of the 1900's, and the character of Grace really exemplified these changes. I like how the author paced the story - often revealing important events through Grace in the present day, but not taking us back to Grace's memories of the time period of the actual event until later. I enjoyed knowing where I was going without necessarily having all the details - and then the details changing what I thought I knew about the event.

I thought that Morton's grasp of the time period was excellent - especially Grace's trials and tribulations as a maid. What is funny about that is that in January-February, I was watching the BBC miniseries Downton Abbey on PBS. Downton Abbey is about an aristocratic family in England in the years prior to WWI, and the servants who served them. So, basically the same time period as the initial part of The House at Riverton. It was neat to compare the similarities between the two dramas and know that The House at Riverton got so many things right as it was so similar, in many respects, to Downton Abbey. I urge all my readers to check out Downton Abbey - it is an amazing, wonderful series full of excellent characters and gripping stories. I cannot wait until the second season comes out.

I also urge my readers to read The House at Riverton. It is an enjoyable novel and quite historically accurate (at least according to me!). In fact, you should immerse yourself in the Edwardian period (yes, even though I know George V was on the throne from 1910 on it is still, technically, sort of, the Edwardian period) and watch Downton Abbey and read The House at Riverton. You will not be disappointed!