Homecoming in Aussie Readers

Apr 29, 2023 Bree T rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, mystery, arc, family-saga, hist-contemp-blend, 2023-historical-fiction-challenge

I’ve said a few times, a new Kate Morton novel is a treat. I’ve only read her last few releases – I was quite late to the party and I do have a significant portion of her backlist to make my way through, several of which I already own and am waiting for a rainy day. Her books are always quite large and they feel daunting before you pick one up. But the thing is, once you start it and sink into the story, for me……I no longer notice the length. The writing is so rich and detailed, the setting so w I’ve said a few times, a new Kate Morton novel is a treat. I’ve only read her last few releases – I was quite late to the party and I do have a significant portion of her backlist to make my way through, several of which I already own and am waiting for a rainy day. Her books are always quite large and they feel daunting before you pick one up. But the thing is, once you start it and sink into the story, for me……I no longer notice the length. The writing is so rich and detailed, the setting so well constructed and the characters so interesting and complex, that everything else always fades away.

This is a dual timeline, set partially in the Adelaide Hills (fun fact: I am visiting that part of the world this month!) in 1959 with the modern day portion being Sydney in 2019. In 1959, Isabel Turner is a mother of four, including a six month old baby. Her husband is mostly absent, pursuing “business ventures” in London (where Isabel is from). She’s left in their grand house in rural South Australia, raising the children. On Christmas Eve in 1959, the utmost tragedy strikes and from there, officers can only come to one horrible conclusion.

In December 2018, Australian-born but London-living Jess is recalled to Sydney when her grandmother has a fall. Her grandmother raised her after Jess’ own mother moved interstate and Jess is fiercely loyal to her and admirable of the amazing woman she was. She raised Jess’ mother alone and has also devoted her time to many women, being mentors and supporters of women in business. When Jess arrives back in Australia she is baffled by the reason her elderly grandmother would’ve been going into the attic when she had a fall, a place she always told Jess to stay away from. In looking for the answers, Jess uncovers a connection to a tragedy from 60 years ago.

Both timelines were so incredibly interesting. The 1959 timeline gives a little background before the discovery of the tragedy by a local man and you get to experience the investigation as it’s undertaken by police from Adelaide, due to the serious nature of it. Morton gives such a clear picture of the small town and its residents, some of the complexities of life, especially for Isabel, brought out to Australia by her new husband, whom she met in London after the war. It would be such a different life, in this isolated area. Although the house is grand, by far the grandest around, it also has a tragic history. One that hadn’t worried Isabel when she arrived, although locals murmur that perhaps it should have, given what happened. Isabel seems exhausted, she’s got help in the way of a housekeeper and a sort of nanny for the young baby but she seems fed up of being left here, by her husband’s constant absences. Especially seeing as he is the Australian (although he grew up in Sydney) and now he seems to spend most of his time in London, Isabel’s former home. After the tragedy, Isabel’s past is dug into, her family and assumptions are made based on multiple times, the case closed but not. The findings not definitive, but nothing else seeming likely.

In the present, we are treated to Jess’ history, her life growing up with her beloved grandmother. We see her grandmother through Jess’ eyes. She is presented as so wonderful, so perfect almost – and I’m sure she was incredibly wonderful to Jess, providing her with every opportunity. It is not until a bit later in the book that we are presented with Jess’ mother Polly’s view and that begins to give some nuance to the character of Nora, Jess’ grandmother and Polly’s mother. That there is much more complexity to her than simply devoted grandmother. It added so many layers to the story and made me look at many things with a different eye….and gave me a little bit of an inkling about something…..

This was a wonderful story, I enjoyed every second of it and the pages just flew by and honestly, that’s all you can ask for when you dive into something like this. I keep thinking of the other Kate Morton novels on my shelf, trying to plan the perfect time to read one when honestly, any time is the perfect time. Despite the length, the pacing was good and I appreciated the way Morton was able to take her time to explore what happened to result in that tragedy of 1959. ...more

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Oct 24, 2024 Rhoda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars

Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book to review!

On Christmas Eve in 1959 a man is making a delivery to one of the local families in his Adelaide Hills town when he makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation takes place and the small town is embroiled in one of the most puzzling murder cases in its history.

Sixty years later Jess is called back to Sydney from her London home of twenty years when her beloved grandmother Nora suffers a fall and is taken to ...more

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Apr 17, 2024 Karen rated it really liked it

I listened to this as an audio book and loved the narration by Claire Foye. It was very long, but as it was two stories, across two timelines, it was understandable. In a small South Australian town in the Adelaide Hills on Christmas Eve 1959 a mother and 3 of her 4 children are found dead, and the baby is missing. Sixty years later, Jess a journalist who has been living in London for 20 years rushes home to a Sydney as her beloved Grandmother, Nora has suffered a fall and is in hospital. When s ...more

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