I sometimes find that books set across two timelines can become confusing when trying to keep up with characters, however I did not have this from reading this book. I found this a cleverly written story about a family investigating its history and finding secret relationships hidden away.
Caro is well educated having achieved a degree from Cambridge and hopes to live in London and work as an academic, however after her new husband Alasdair finds work in Scotland, the pair return to his family home with their young daughter to Kelly Castle still lived in by his mother Martha. After a flood in their cottage in the grounds unearths an unmarked grave of a woman buried years before they are forced to move into the main house and live together. Martha suggests a project for Caro to look through the family archives to find out who Alasdair’s great grandmother was as all evidence of her existence seems to have been removed from the family history.
Caro’s investigation leads to the story of Oliver (great grandfather) as he travels as a student doctor to the Arctic on a whaling boat. The boat stopping to pick up whalers from the Inuit community to support their voyage.
The book continues to travel between the two historical eras unraveling information as to who the body is and how it got there.
The book also explores the relationship between Caro and her mother in law as the two try to live acrimoniously together.
I would recommend this book.
Caro is well educated having achieved a degree from Cambridge and hopes to live in London and work as an academic, however after her new husband Alasdair finds work in Scotland, the pair return to his family home with their young daughter to Kelly Castle still lived in by his mother Martha. After a flood in their cottage in the grounds unearths an unmarked grave of a woman buried years before they are forced to move into the main house and live together. Martha suggests a project for Caro to look through the family archives to find out who Alasdair’s great grandmother was as all evidence of her existence seems to have been removed from the family history.
Caro’s investigation leads to the story of Oliver (great grandfather) as he travels as a student doctor to the Arctic on a whaling boat. The boat stopping to pick up whalers from the Inuit community to support their voyage.
The book continues to travel between the two historical eras unraveling information as to who the body is and how it got there.
The book also explores the relationship between Caro and her mother in law as the two try to live acrimoniously together.
I would recommend this book.