The Forgotten Garden in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Oct 31, 2011 Beth Given rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: clean

This had sort of an "epic saga" feel to it -- a mystery that sweeps through the generations, revealed piece by piece until, at last, you can see the story as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, with all its twists and turns. I didn't always agree with or understand the characters (why exactly did Nell throw her entire life away when learning that she was adopted? Why did she never reveal to her granddaughter the mystery that had so absorbed her, even after Cassandra was grown? Why must the S ...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Larissa marked it as to-read

Another great one by Kate Morton! I have only read the Secret Keeper which I also really enjoyed. She employs similar storytelling (using flashbacks from an elderly character in the story) which worked for both stories. I really enjoyed her characters and the story, and this time she truly stumped me with the ending! A tragic turn of events that came from such a small misunderstanding! Well crafted story that I would recommend!

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Feb 12, 2011 Joanna rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, rws-2011-winter, 2012-read

I really don't understand the rave reviews for this book. I found the "mystery" really pretty unsatisfying, with no great secrets actually revealed and no reason to really care about the family history as told. The shifting perspectives felt basically unnecessary, the "fairy tales" weren't particularly compelling, and I never really liked or disliked any of the characters. The book was long, but set in a pretty big font with lots of chapter breaks, so not really as long as it seemed at first. Th ...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Anastasia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fiction

3/25-- I am LOVING this book!

Kate Morton has written a very satisfying novel with all the elements to keep a reader on her toes and turning pages well into the night: mystery, romance, fairies, sadness, betrayal, and love in all its forms.

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Apr 04, 2011 Celeste rated it really liked it

Great read-good mystery, good charcters and fun setting. Parts of this book remind me of what I liked about Shadow of the Wind. Good stuff.

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Jun 16, 2012 Megan rated it liked it

Shelves: international-reads, tea-and-tomes-book-club-books, uk-and-ireland, australia-and-new-zealand, library-loans

A fast and enjoyable read. The story jumps between the early 1900s, the 1970s, and the present day, moving between Australia and England. The reader needs all three periods of time to put together the story. Interspersed between the chapters are fairy tales written by one of the characters, which adds another layer to the story. While I can't say I was shocked by the ending, it didn't detract from the enjoyment of reading this book. ...more

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Aug 18, 2011 shannon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tri-sigma-book-club

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that the story was told over three generations, and that each part of the story was equally important. I also loved the references to other authors from the various time periods represented in the book. The imagery was haunting, and it will stick with me for quite some time.

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