The Watchmaker: A Clock Can Talk

by Ellen Khodakivska

Time is a tricky, unstoppable, and mysterial. It is pointless to argue with Time. All attempts to tame it are also hopeless. For some fathomless reason, truth is always on the side of Time. Meanwhile, Time loves to be appreciated. If you respect Time, it respects you back, revealing you some of its secrets. Once a mysterious old woman offers Dominic Donelli’s great grandfather – an ordinary watchmaker – to possess a gift that will allow him to help people to manage Time wisely. He takes a risk and gives his consent. The watchmaker can’t even imagine a scale of the effect of his decision for him and his next generations.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2020

Reviews

[Wendy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Watchmaker: A Clock Can Talk by Ellen Khodakivska is a captivating read. Set in the Italian city of Campobasso, the story follows the fortunes of generations of the Donelli family. In the author’s engrossing, elegant and unique writing style, the cleverly plotted story unfolds. Described in the most intricate detail, the author assembles relatable, colourful characters. Khodadiivska's gift for descriptive writing brings each scene to life, aided by a deep yet not exaggerated representation of feelings and emotions. It is an understatement to say that the novel engaged me throughout. I didn’t want it to end. This book is an undiscovered gem. This is my second read of this author’s work, and it will not be the last. Get hold of this book and read it.

[Victoria Skye Better · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that first catches your attention with its impossible-to-ignore cover — and then keeps it with what’s inside. It feels as if not only clocks can talk, but the author holds a quiet, subtle power over time itself: you start reading, and suddenly time seems to take on a life of its own — you get lost in the pages… time can wait, but the reading cannot.

The Watchmaker is a rich, immersive story that explores time in all its complexity — not just as something we measure, but as something we feel, respect, and sometimes misunderstand. A sad story. There’s a depth to the narrative that’s thoughtful and quietly affecting, drawing you into the lives and choices of its characters. It’s absorbing, reflective, and lingers in the mind long after the last page.

[Sukanya Bora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable lessons learnt about time and to respect time so that it can respect back. Nicely written, the Gift and Curse at the end of every chapter is an add on wonder with moral lessons.
A lot of lines in this book touched my heart.
Totally recommend it if u value time. Respect time and it respects you back.

[Abdelkader Ben Rayana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 9th book I read in 2020. I give it 5 stars out of 5. A great book to read especially in these times. It was well organized. Ellen wrote with impressive passion, talent, and enthusiasm about the watchmakers. From generation to another, you can enjoy the tales of Italian men (Originally from Campobasso) in which their names started with a “D” letter. It gives the idea that if you manage time smartly gifts start to fill your life and the life of those around you. If you fail, you’ll be surrounded by curses. The mysteries and romance parts are wonderfully written. I liked the idea of the watchmakers sharing their passion for the watchmaking craft with their wives and children. It includes numerous sad events which made it unexpectedly better to read.
My favorite character is Daniella. She happened to be born on February 8th (Just like me. What a coincidence!!). Also, she was the exception in all generations of watchmakers. One of the secondary characters was named “Guido”. I liked that part especially that “Guido” is one of my nicknames.
My favorite quote is: “Without a dream, you’re just a plant that grows in an unknown direction”.
Ellen proved that a passion can be turned into fabulous results, and also clocks indeed can talk. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting tale of life, destiny and time…

Ellen Khodakivska tells a unique and enchanting story that follows five generations of watch makers who reside in Campobasso Italy. Their lives much like all of ours is ruled by time and how we manage it – there are a lot of fantastic messages and even some great symbolism throughout that really captures the concept of time. Even though there are many wonderful characters, it feels as if time is a character itself in this wonderful story.

Written with a style that reads like a sophisticated fairy tale, there’s a certain charm this book contains throughout as we meet the different generations of the ‘Donelli’ family and follow their lives. From heart warming moments to some that are sombre or even tragic, all of it is defined by the power of time and as watchmakers, they all follow the footsteps of their previous generation but that is after being told that there may be darkness if certain chains are broken.

On the fringes and always watching are the ‘Gift’ and the ‘Curse’ who are seemingly playing a game against one another and the pawns are those who have the initials ‘DD’. Told with heart and plenty of emotion this original tale has something for everyone and how you see time, may differ from others but the wise message within is universal.

‘Time always shares its wisdom with you if you are a good listener; Time can become your merciless enemy if you neglect it; Time can be your best friend if you manage it smartly; If you respect time, it respects you back…’

[Corlet Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time. Time is always a struggle. Time is inevitable. Ellen brings the beautiful story of time through the story of a watchmaker and his lineage from generation to generation. They, however, are destined for some blessings and some curses along the way.

[Allan Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel has a unique plot and Khodakivska creates an clever story about a family of clockmakers, with a lovely bit of magic, both a blessing and a curse. I enjoyed this book.

[Eve Koguce · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It flows away silently, deceitfully slowly, and masterfully quickly.”

Time. Invisible but incredibly powerful. Unyielding to people’s demands but generous when treated with respect.

If given a chance to teach others about the mysteries of time, what price would you be ready to pay? Several generations of the Donelli family enjoy the gift of knowing more about time than anyone else. Alas, they also feel the depth of the curse that comes in a package with such profound knowledge.

Set in the charming Italian city of Campobasso, “The Watchmaker: A Clock Can Talk” by Ellen Khodakivska is a story of watchmakers who knew more about time than how to fix any type of clock. By engraving the initials DD, they not only gave a clock a chance to keep ticking away for more years, but they also could change the life of the clock’s owner. For some, these changes were for the better. While for others, they were fatal.

And when the time balance tipped, the Gift and the Curse stopped their never-ending dialogue and one of them made the decision to reward or punish the watchmaker.

Every Donelli knew the story of how the men of their family happened to be carrying the gift and the curse of time. Back in 1890, Doriano Donelli met a mysterious woman, whose claims about giving him the gift of understanding the time better than any other person in the world he only partially believed. Still, an ardent watchmaker, who had to work the other job his heart wasn’t into so he could continue repairing clocks, couldn’t resist the temptation of the offer. And so, Doriano had sealed his family’s fate for more than a century. Since he had changed the life of the person who brought him their clock to fix it for the first time, the men in his family kept on the tradition and learnt the watchmaking craft. The consequences of Doriano’s decision were both beautiful and devastating.

Full of heart-warming and also tragic moments, this book will tug at your heartstrings and put a smile on your face. A wonderful read.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Watchmaker: A Watch Can Talk” by Ellen Khodakivska is a wonderfully fanciful and heart-wrenchingly poignant tale of an amazing magical ability passed on through a family of watchmakers in Italy. The journey for this family began in 1890, when Doriano Donelli met a mysterious older woman. She explained that she had no children to pass on this unique gift, the ability to communicate understand the language of clocks, although there were conditions. Doriano agrees, not taking the lady seriously. Soon, though, he learns that the woman spoke the truth, and he finds that the cost of the “gift” is dearer than he ever imagined. The author’s captivating prose kept me engaged throughout this unique tale, one that will remain on my mind for quite a while.

[MF · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never expected to enjoy my first book of 2025 this much. Ellen’s captivating writing style brings the story to life with vivid, heartfelt descriptions of people and emotions, combined with gripping action that keeps you turning the pages. Her storytelling made it easy to visualize every scene, immersing me in a world of beautifully crafted characters—primarily watchmakers from different generations—described with realistic detail.
My favorite quote: When old grandma, whose back is aching desperately, manages to cook the favorite muffins to her grandkid, not showing a single hint of pain, it's also considered to be magic power