The House at Riverton

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We might even have a different life outside of fiction if representatives had cautioned of the world's evils. Maybe if the world had allowed for the young sisters to be themselves in childhood they would not have felt so different from each other. Kate Morton was born in South Australia, grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland, and now lives with her family in London and Australia.

Kate Morton has said that the novel's setting is as important to her as its characters, that Riverton Manor is as much a character of the book as its inhabitants.While reading this story I found myself eager to correct certain actions or behaviours of the characters. She completed a Licentiate in Speech and in Drama from Trinity College London and then a summer Shakespeare course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Nell will grow up happy only to find out the truth of her abandonment and sets out to find the lady.

Two young girls grow into womanhood and the desire for independence will affect both Hannah and Emmeline in different yet significant ways. Here, I must give credit to Agatha Christie’s ‘Adventure of the Christmas Pudding’, a country-house mystery, for my metaphorical inspiration. I found it quite haunting, and a lovely study of loyalty, family and the 'butterfly' effect that our decisions can have on other people's lives.

As a young girl, Grace is sent to work at Riverton, first meeting the grandchildren of Riverton – David, Hannah and Emmeline – when they come to stay, and immediately feels a connection with them, Hannah in particular.