The Clockmaker's Daughter

The Fairy Queen is the supernatural woman in the story of the Eldritch Children who intervenes to save them from the superstitious townsfolk. To reward the couple who took in her prince and princesses, she casts a protective spell over the land where they took refuge. Her enchantment lingers in the light that shines from the attic window of Birchwood, and her story underscores the attraction that some visitors, like Elodie, feel to the place.

The Fairy Queen symbolizes Edward’s attraction toward Birdie/Lily. He paints her as the Fairy Queen as a tribute to her power, which reveals his fascination and devotion. Lily, like the Fairy Queen, knows the powerful appeal of beauty, but she is also wise. Lily later reflects the Fairy Queen’s protective abilities in her role as the ghost who looks after, and becomes part of, Birchwood.

The Radcliffe Blue, a rare and valuable 23-carat blue diamond, represents the loss of something priceless. Its history exemplifies Kate Morton’s attention to detail. The diamond was supposedly stolen from Florence in the 14th century, then set into a pendant for Marie Antoinette (123). Some said that the stone had been plucked from a Hindu temple by a merchant traveling through 10th century India—this history reflects the colonial currents of Ada’s story.