Kate Morton’s The House at Riverton takes us below the stairs of a majestic English country house before the First World War. Our guide in this now-vanished universe is Grace, a young maid in service to the Ashbury family. Grace tells us about the lives of the family she serves, lives that are so closely bound up with her own.
The historical context of this book is fascinating, not just for the etiquette and traditions of the age, but also the turbulent setting of the early 20th century. The story begins before the First World War and follows the build-up to and aftermath of a war that left none untouched. The family at Riverton have times of great optimism and excitement but more than their fair share of sorrow and misfortune, in many ways they appear to reflect the state of the nation through those difficult years. Through the stories of the Hartford sisters, Grace’s main charges, we follow the great changes for women as well as the challenges and sacrifices that the wars demanded.
The House at Riverton explores themes of love and loyalty, duty and sacrifice and asks just how long it is possible to keep a secret. With an ending that may surprise and shock, this is a book I couldn’t leave alone for long and it is a story that will remain with me for a good while yet.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 5 religious exclamations; 7 mild obscenities; 1 F-word derivative
Violence/Gore: A character suffers a fall; death of a family member; 2 reported deaths of children; references to fighting in WW1; two men have a physical fight; a male character is violent towards a female character; a character is fatally shot, blood is mentioned.
Sex/Nudity: Various characters kiss, two adults have an extra-martial affair, there is nudity and sexual activity is implied (no detailed scenes), further implied sexual activity between adults.
Mature Subject Matter:
War, Mental issues (shell shock, depression), Death of a family member, Death of a child, Marital Infidelity, Potential Suicide, Socioeconomic Conflict.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
There are many dinner parties where wine and champagne are served.
