The Clockmaker's Daughter

By: Kate Morton

Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt

Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

Listen to this book as a Kindle accompaniment

Due to the length of this book the audible only version skips around as it was recorded in sections. It was very frustrating and hard to follow until I purchased the Kindle version and listened through the Kindle app. syncing the audible recorded “sections” in sequential order. The only way to listen to this particular book.

The story is intricately written, as are all Kate Morton’s books. She is my favorite author and an exquisite storyteller.

Joanne Froggatt was an excellent choice of narrators. I loved her in Downton Abbey and enjoyed her voice in this book.

Loved it until the end....

So I had read The Lake House and loved it! Was so excited for this book and I really did love the first 85% of the novel. However, I didn't like how it failed to really tie anything up. Yes, it gave us some glimpses into how certain things happened and ended, but nothing to tie them all together and the huge "reveal" left me mad and unfulfilled and reminded me too much of another book that also left me frustrated (that I can't mention or else I would spoil). Why couldn't there just be like 2 more chapters? I know some things should be left to the reader's imagination but this was just ridiculous. The reader did a great job though.

Stunning and thoroughly enjoyable

Kate Morton weaves an incredibly beautiful story with genius and intricate craftsmanship. Her characters reached out of the narrative and completely captured my imagination and heart. Tender, thoughtful, compelling, interesting, heart wrenching... she renders what it means to be human and on this earth absolutely beautiful and worthwhile. Thank you Kate.

Captivating

This is book is amazing for anyone who enjoys being transported to a different world. Joanne Froggatt’s reading is impeccable, and I just love the sound of her voice! If you’re in love with English history, literature, and artwork, this is the perfect book!

Buy it!

Highly recommend this book. Kate Morton does a great job keeping the reader/listener in suspense!

Great story, partially difficult listen

This is the only Audible I’ve listened to so far that I had to slow the pace; Not because the narrator spoke too fast but because of the intricate details of the story. It was a fantastic story but it is definitely something you need to give your full attention to in order to appreciate it.

Time, Ghosts, Love, and Mystery

This book has so much going on. Many story lines and characters. The main setting is an old house with secret hiding places, ghosts, and a long cast list of occupants. Since this was a listen, instead of a read, I felt a little disoriented, at times, to which time period I was in. In the end, it all comes together. I really enjoyed hearing Joanne Froggatt (Anna from Downton Abbey) bring these characters to life. She's excellent, giving all the characters distinct voices and personalities. The writing is also excellent, so many rich details. I'll be checking out more books by Kate Morton.

Hard to keep track of the characters

There is much to like about this book, both the chapters and the setting ofBirchwood Manor. But with so many characters belonging to so many different time periods, it is inevitable that the listener will get lost now and again. By the time she came to tying things together and wrapping things up in the final chapter, there were characters mentioned that I had completely forgotten. Unfortunately this knocked off a star’s worth of my enjoyment.

That said, I loved that one of the main narrators is a ghost, and once we got to her story, the plot became a real page turner.

A good listen

This was a good book, though not one of my favorite by Morton. And sometimes, I had trouble understanding the narrator.

Intriguing story!

I was a little confused at first because the story goes back and forth in time but was worth listening and digging into!