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| Author promotional photos credit: Simon & Schuster. All other photos belong to Girl Well Read — do not use without written permission. |
Blue Heron Books celebrated the release of Kate Morton's newest novel, The Clockmaker's Daughter. Kate engaged the audience with a reading and then spoke with Suzanne Kearsley to talk about her writing process, inspiration, and themes of her newest work. A question and answer period as well as a book signing followed.
Morton's writing process is unique in that she keeps a series of notebooks where she jots down random thoughts and questions to herself. This is where the ideas start to take shape—she loves this early stage stating that "it's all possibility". Normally she writes in the order that the reader would experience, however this novel was different because she actually wrote what would become Chapter 1 two books prior, and then the vignettes which are the threads that tie the storylines together.
In The Clockmaker's Daughter, there is a past storyline as well as a present one, and the vignettes—which are stories from the people that lived in the house—scattered throughout.
The underlying themes of the novel are adversity, love, loss, and resilience. The work resembles a clock itself because there are a lot of working and moving pieces—some are fast, some are slow. She also wanted to feature the River Thames. The river has been there through so much; it is "thick, swampy, and muddy with secrets". I love the imagery this conjures up, as well as the tie in with the book.
Morton doesn't like to be labelled as a historical fiction writer because she tethers her stories to the present and she also pushes them to the brink of the future. When asked if she would consider writing something more futuristic, Morton said that it is definitely something she may explore further.
What's next? While visiting the British Museum, she saw a map and described the feeling as being in a dark room and someone lights a match. I'm so intrigued and can't wait to read what she writes next, whether it be something sparked from this map, or something entirely different.
Morton's books are gorgeous and lyrical and she is one of my favourite authors. I also recommend following Kate on Instagram. Her feed is made up of stunning images and you can see why architecture is so prevalent in her novels.
The Clockmaker's Daughter
A rich, spellbinding new novel from the author of The Lake House—the story of a love affair and a mysterious murder that cast their shadow across generations, set in England from the 1860s until the present day.
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 on the banks of the Upper Thames. 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 one hundred and fifty 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 its pages 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.
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KATE MORTON a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature. She lives with her family in London and Australia.
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