The House at Riverton The House at Riverton

The House at Riverton

A Novel

    • 4.3 • 618 Ratings
    • $13.99

Publisher Description

From the author of #1 international bestseller The Forgotten Garden and New York Times bestseller Homecoming comes a gorgeous novel set in England between World War I and World War II. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, it is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.

Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline.

In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they—and Grace—know the truth.

In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever.

The novel is full of secrets—some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history.

Kate Morton’s first novel, originally published to critical acclaim in Australia, and quickly becoming a #1 bestseller in England, The House at Riverton is a vivid, page-turning novel of suspense and passion, with characters—and an ending—readers won't soon forget.

GENRE
Fiction & Literature
RELEASED
2008
April 22
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
480
Pages
PUBLISHER
Atria Books
SELLER
Simon & Schuster Digital Sales LLC
SIZE
7.8
MB

Customer Reviews

Pjv-M ,

The House at Riverton

Loved the book. Loved the characters. I'm sorry to have finished it!

Sdbcruise ,

The house at riverton

An amazingly wonderful read....beautifully woven and immensely entertaining!!! The characters and plot are vivid and engrossing!!! Love the period and this was even better than downtown abbey! A must read for the "upstairs/downstairs" fans but weaves in agatha Christie and tons of intrigue! WOW!!

Jennifer Lyn King ,

A Captivating and Page-Turning Read -- Highly Recommended

A story of love and mystery and the secrets held over time, THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON captivated me with its lush twists and tucks in the story. Told in 1999 by Grace Bradley, one-time housemaid at the Riverton Estate in England, the story she tells is of the family she cared for, of sisters Hannah and Emmeline, and of the vast and sweeping secrets she helped them to keep. With full-bodied characters flawed over time and hardships, the sweeping story Grace tells leads the reader to a highly impactful ending.

Kate Morton's beautiful style of telling the story is enchanting, and keeps the reader turning pages ever more urgently as the novel draws to a close. I appreciated Ms. Morton's adept telling of the story through the eyes of Grace, and of the complex world she reflects upon from her youth.

It is important not to flip to the end and spoil the story ... I was blown away by the ending, yet it all made perfect sense.

A brilliant, luminous read, highly recommended for readers who enjoy literary mystery woven with a impactful love story, with historical and contemporary elements. One of my all-time favorite novels.

The Next Page: A Fiction Sampler for Book Clubs The Next Page: A Fiction Sampler for Book Clubs
2015
Grand Central Grand Central
2014
The Moment of Tenderness The Moment of Tenderness
2020
The Last Night in London The Last Night in London
2021
The Lost Summers of Newport The Lost Summers of Newport
2022
Scottish Girls About Town Scottish Girls About Town
2004
The Secret Keeper The Secret Keeper
2012
The Lake House The Lake House
2015
The Forgotten Garden The Forgotten Garden
2009
The Distant Hours The Distant Hours
2010
The Clockmaker's Daughter The Clockmaker's Daughter
2018
Homecoming Homecoming
2023
The Memory Box The Memory Box
2021
Bittersweet Bittersweet
2014
The Masterpiece The Masterpiece
2018
Dollbaby Dollbaby
2014
The Paris Apartment The Paris Apartment
2021
The Book of Lost and Found The Book of Lost and Found
2015