‘Absolutely broke my heart… I didn’t emerge for breath until I’d tearfully finished the last page. Wonderful.’ Being Anne, 5 stars
Dorset, 1935. Stationmaster Ted has never cared much for romance. Occupied with ensuring England’s most beautiful railway runs on time, love has always felt like a comparatively trivial matter. Yet when he meets Annie Galbraith on the 8.42 train to Lynford, he can’t … the 8.42 train to Lynford, he can’t help but instantly fall for her.
But when the railway is forced to close and a terrible accident occurs within the station grounds, Ted finds his job and any hope of a relationship with Annie hanging in the balance…
Present day. Recovering from heartbreak after a disastrous marriage, Tilly decides to escape from the bustling capital and move to Dorset to stay with her dad, Ken.
When Ken convinces Tilly to help with the restoration of the old railway, she discovers a diary hidden in the old ticket office. Tilly is soon swept up in Ted’s story, and the fateful accident that changed his life forever.
But an encounter with an enigmatic stranger takes Tilly by surprise, and she can’t help but feel a connection with Ted’s story in the past…
Don’t miss this haunting and evocative timeslip novel.
Readers LOVE The Stationmaster’s Daughter:
‘A MUST READ in my book!!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Utterly perfect… A timeslip tale that leaves you wanting more… I loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I may have shed a tear or two!… A definite emotional rollercoaster of a read that will make you both cry and smile.’ Debbie’s Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘Oh my goodness… The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out what happened steadily grew and grew.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars
‘Very special… I loved every minute of it.’ Jessica Belmont, 5 stars
‘Brilliant… Very highly recommended!!’ Donnasbookblog, 5 stars
‘Touched my heart! A real page turner… The perfect read for cosying up. I can’t recommend this gorgeous book enough.’ Dash Fan Book reviews, 5 stars
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The Stationmaster’s Daughter is a beautiful tale of love and tragedy told in a brilliantly executed dual timeline.
This is not my first Kathleen McGurl novel, so I am hardly surprised at her beautiful writing, but there is something very special about this novel. With the dual timelines and alternating POVs, the characters jump off the page and are brought to life. All the wonderful flaws and strengths of the characters were masterfully penned in such a way that these characters were lovable and unlovable in all the right ways.
The descriptions are magnificant and the plot is paced perfectly. I love the timelines and POV changes. Not all authors can pull this off, but in this novel, the stories are aligned perfectly to merge. This is a heart-string pulling story, and I loved every minute of it.
I highly recommend checking this one out.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
I know from reading previous writing by Kathleen McGurl, that it deserves my full focus. I get drawn into another world and appreciate and enjoy full immersion.
While fully deserving of the label women’s fiction or romance, this book is much more than that. There is intrigue, several mysteries to be unraveled, and history revealed.
Parallels between the different eras in this book come alive and make the reader also look at their own life. A wonderful escape read that is very satisfying.
When we meet Tilly, she is recovering from harsh realities of life. For a time she has trouble coping and makes poor choices, believing she has no choice of her own. Not wanting to disappoint or take advantage of those she cares about in life, she takes small steps to do something differently. Tiny steps, but forward steps. Soon she finds herself curious, drawn into a story decades old and a mystery.
She meets an older woman who stands between Tilly’s father and forward movement of his own goals, his own way of dealing with a tragedy. Tilly strives to find out what has caused this woman to be embittered, and also to solve a mystery regarding the train station. I do not want to give away much plot because I enjoyed the way it gradually unfolded.
Ms. McGurl’s development of characters is natural and I think each of us will interpret them individually. I think different readers will view Annie in different lights. I saw her as somewhat manipulative, but perhaps this was just her own way of lashing out at life’s injustices.
Ted is a gentle soul but may also have been on the autism spectrum, not recognized in his time period. I am grateful he lived during a time of supportive family, yet he managed quite well on his own. There is much here to be discussed and considered. This makes for an excellent book club selection.
What a wonderful dual timeline centered around an old railway line in Dorset!
Diverse characters, romance, history, tragedy and coming to terms with the past.
Thoroughly recommended.