The Distant Hours

The Distant Hours Kate Morton Generously: ★ ★ OMG, compared to "The Forgotten Garden" this was a Total Stinker! Long, boring, prettily written, intriguing, and TOTALLY BO-RING! Um: There is a mother, Meredith who as a child was sent away during the war to the country.... She was taken in by Juniper and cared for by Juniper & her two twin sisters Saffy & Percy (they lived in a castle).... Their father lived there too, in a tower, he was Artistic and Insane! So this family, is "fragile" and has secrets & a past filled w/ tragedy...... Mother burned in a fire, siblings died young & tragically, father guilt ridden & terrorized by the past....... Saffy & Percy are hiding a secret and Juniper is tenuously holding on to a thin thread of sanity.... Father writes a story about a ghostly "Mud-Man"...... The publisher wants an anniversary edition.... Meredith has grown (with secrets), married and had a daughter who just happens to be the one to delve into the history & secrets of the Mud-Man as well as the secret connection her mother has w/ the family. So, I know you'll wonder why I finished this Gawd-Awful book..... I wanted to find out the "Secret" and who-dun it. But it wasn't worth it. I have: "The Secret Keeper" on my desk (but it might be a long time before I give Kate another chance), and I had: "The House at Riverton", but I added that to the Library's collection.