Set in the gothic Milderhurst Castle, The Distant Hours is a dual time line story of Meredith, who at the age of 12 is evacuated from WWII London to the countryside for safety. To her surprise, she’s chosen by Juniper Blythe to live with her and her family at Milderhurst Castle. Meredith lives an idyllic life with Juniper, twin sisters, and their writer father, where she learns to play the piano, swim, and read all the books her heart desires from the castle library.

Fifty years later, Meredith’s daughter, Edith, develops a curiosity about Milderhurst Castle when a long-lost letter arrives with a return address of the castle. Meredith is tight-lipped about the letter and the castle, spurring Edith to satisfy her curiosities on her own. Edith spontaneously visits the castle and meets the three sisters who continue to live in the castle together. Juniper has been cared for by her sisters since her fiancé’s tragic abandonment in 1941, leading to her mental breakdown.

I’ve read a few books by Kate Morton, and The Distant Hours wasn’t my favorite. I loved the historical fiction, dual timeline story, and setting of an old, European castle. But there were so many little things going on that made the story confusing at times. It was tough to keep my attention for an audiobook, and it made it hard to get into the story and the characters. It was also really long, over 22 hours on audio. I liked the core of the story about the relationship between the mother and daughter, and the mysteries surrounding the sisters living in Milderhurst Castle. But there were so many extra threads in the story that were distracting and unnecessary. The story could have been more focused. I think I finally got into the book around halfway through. Overall, I liked it. The ending was sad, but it was also satisfying.

Even though I didn’t love this book, I’m still a fan of Kate Morton’s work. I bought The Distant Hours with my Audible membership, and I really enjoyed the narration by Caroline Lee.

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A Book And A Dog ( )

Having loved kate Morton's other two books was thrilled when this large novel was in the shops, I liked the blurb on back cover and was all set to be drawn in by Kate Morton's wonderful storytelling but I felt that this was a very long drawn out book and had lost my interest quater of the way through and never got it back, the ending was very contrived. ( )

I love Kate Morton's writing but this was not my favourite. It was a bit melodramatic at times and there was a little too much angst about the main characters attachment to their home. The modern-day story was weak. The mother's refusal to talk about her time at Milderhurst was not justified. The modern day protagonist, Edie, was uninteresting and little more than a plot device to uncover the story of the three sisters in Milderhurst castle.

In spite of these criticisms, the book kept me reading as I had to find out what happened. And there were several twists that kept the tension up right to the end.

The best character is Milderhurst castle itself. And that house had to "die" in order to bring closure to the story of the Blythe sisters. Just as Tom Cafvill's attic apartment, where he and Juniper fell in love, had to live so the modern story could resolve itself. If only the human characters were as well developed as the buildings! ( )

Great classic Gothic thriller, with 3 reclusive old sisters, family secrets, a heroine with a connection to the castle they live in, murder, death and madness, and a mud monster.

3.5 stars, 1.5 stars taken off for the length -- way too long and meandering, especially in the beginning ( )

A tale woven around the lives of 3 sisters living in an old castle, a women who, as a young girl, went to stay with them during WW2 and her daughter wanting to know about her mother's history and the stories behind the sisters and the castle. Well woven and linked. ( )