After reading a favorable review and the intriguing synopsis I eagerly anticipated reading The Distant Hours.

An old family mystery, an ancient castle, a lost letter, the story behind the story - The True History of the Mud Man. Edie, a young woman working in the publishing field, learns that her "dull" mother has a history that she knows nothing of. (Her mother was a 13 year old evacuee taken in at Milderhurst Castle, the home of the author of her favorite childhood book.) The Distant Hours parallels Edie's search for answers in the present (1992) with the lives of Persephone, Seraphina, and Juniper Blythe during the years 1939 - 41. Edie uncovers some of the answers she seeks. She also finds that some things are best left unwritten. Like the true story behind the book that made her a reader.

I found the story highly compelling overall but was mildly distracted by the minutiae of the Blythe Sister's younger years. I'm intrigued by the Kate Morton's work in this novel enough to look into her others - The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden.