The Clockmaker's Daughter

By: Kate Morton

Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt

Prepare to lose yourself in the enchanting new novel from Kate Morton.

'My father called me Birdie; he said I was his little bird. Others knew me as his child, the clockmaker’s daughter. Edward called me his muse, his destiny. I am remembered as a thief, an imposter, a girl who rose above her station, who was not chaste. My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows.'

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor in rural Oxfordshire. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over 150 years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker's Daughter is a story of murder, mystery and thievery, of art, love and loss. And flowing through it like a river is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.

©2018 Kate Morton (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"Joanne Froggatt, of 'Downton Abbey,' skillfully narrates this sweeping story of art, beauty, love, and murder.... Froggatt's precise diction makes listening a pleasure. She excels at inhabiting accents and personalities from each era in the layered narrative, both men and women from an array of backgrounds. Froggatt keeps the pace of this long novel moving and helps build suspense as the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together." (AudioFile)

How does it end?

I agree with the comments of some other reviewers --- the book ends abruptly with no resolution of the many interesting story lines. I thought I had accidentally skipped forward on my playback device, but sadly, that wasn't the case. Will there be a sequel so we can find out what happened to the characters we invested our hearts in? I've really enjoyed Kate Morton's other books, but wanted more from this one.

The narration was excellent, and I'll look for other books narrated by Joanne Froggatt.

So confusing

I am halfway through this book and have no clue what is happening. I have loved all of Kate Morton’s books so am totally disappointed. I truly believe this one needs to be read and not listened to. Part of my problem is that I listen while driving to and from work. So I do attribute some of the disjointedness to that. But still am clueless as to why all the jumping around, time frame wise.
I will keep this book and get the hard copy so I can follow along a whole lot better. I just don’t want to give up on Kate.
I did love the narrator and have heard other books by her. Her British accent is wonderful.

Engaging until the end...

I was interested but a little confused with the skipping around between families and time periods. I was beginning to enjoy it more towards the end when an abrupt ending left so many "loose ends". I was confused and left wondering why the author didn't finish the book differently or at least a little more clearly.

Complicated

Once I realized this was a story about and told by a ghost and…once I realized I needed a list of characters by my side at all times, I enjoyed the story. I think the details of some of the minor characters only served to confuse things. Figuring that out helped a lot. The trick is to figure out who the minors and majors are. All in all, it is a compelling story.

Complex

I will have to listen to this book SEVERAL MORE TIMES. Some parts I really enjoyed. Most of the time I was confused or lost. So many characters in this novel.