Resumo de The House At Riverton

The opening sentences of ?The House At Riverton? are reminiscent of the first page of ?Rebecca? by Daphne Du Maurier, but although the stories that follow are entirely different, what soon becomes obvious is the similarity in the quality of the writing. From the start the author creates an atmosphere of intrigue, and the pages turn with ease as the reader is lured into the lives of the characters and their setting. Grace was a maid at Riverton Manor in 1924, when a young poet committed suicide on the shores of the lake, and she narrates the story throughout. As the book opens she is in her late nineties, possessing a wry sense of humour and totally believable quirky character traits. She is also haunted by many years of carrying the secrets that make up the truth of what really happened on that fateful night. A young woman who is making a film about the historic tragedy approaches her to ask if she will authenticate some of the details for the set, and though reluctant at first, she agrees. As past memories begin to surface, the writing skills of Kate Morton unlock the Pandora?s box inside Grace?s head in this beautiful, moving story. The narrative switches seamlessly from the relating of events in the past leading up to the suicide, including the First World War, to the present, which is staged in 1999. The plot is deep and richly patterned, with many strands coming together to complete the picture. Seemingly insignificant details later prove to be vital. The author beautifully portrays the social influences and traditions of this period in history. The themes of loyalty, duty and dedication to service that permeate the motives of those who serve the landed gentry are central to the development of events, even infiltrating the natural processes of falling in love with all its associated and complicated emotions. At its core this is a story of the myriad faces of love and devotion, and its seemingly gentle flow subtly captivates the mind of the reader, almost without permission, until the characters become difficult to leave behind at the end. Guilt can be a heavy burden to carry, and as the story sweeps along to its satisfying conclusion, and the revelation of the truth, there is a strong message to say that we can never know the outcome of some of the choices we make until it is too late to change the hand of fate.

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