The Forgotten Garden in Around the World in 80 Books

Apr 28, 2012 Laura (booksnob) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, book-club, 2012

Nell's life has been a complete lie until now and she has no idea who she is. On what she thinks is her 21st birthday, her father, the man who Nell thought was her father, told her the truth about her life. He told Nell that she arrived in Australia, abandoned on a ship with a little suitcase that contained a dress and a beautifully illustrated book of fairy tales. He estimates that she was about four years old, in the year 1913.

Telling no one about the family secret, Nell continues to live her Nell's life has been a complete lie until now and she has no idea who she is. On what she thinks is her 21st birthday, her father, the man who Nell thought was her father, told her the truth about her life. He told Nell that she arrived in Australia, abandoned on a ship with a little suitcase that contained a dress and a beautifully illustrated book of fairy tales. He estimates that she was about four years old, in the year 1913.

Telling no one about the family secret, Nell continues to live her life focused on the past and sets off on a quest to find out who she truly is. Unfortunately, she doesn't find the answers to her life's questions but what she does find is a cottage in England with a forgotten garden on the Cornish coast.

Nell passes away in 2005 and her granddaughter Cassandra inherits her assets, including a cottage in England and a family secret she knows nothing about. Cassandra's destiny is to search for her grandmother's history, put together the puzzle pieces of the past and unlock the family secrets.

The Forgotten Garden is a sweeping mystery with a fairy tale backdrop. The book travels between two continents and through many generations of woman in the same family. It is beautifully told and imaginative as the stories intertwine and unravel the past. The Forgotten Garden is an ode to fairy tales. The book contains a wicked woman (lets just call her a witch), a beautiful princess, secrets, foggy nights, murder, crazy carriage rides, a mysterious man, a ghost ship, pirates, a maze, a locked garden hidden behind a door and so much more. The Forgotten Garden is a place to lose yourself, smell the roses and try to solve life's mysteries.

Kate Morton wove a mysterious tale that will make readers beg for more. Morton is able to lead the reader where she wants and thus remains an author in control of her story. I was able to figure out the mystery in The Forgotten Garden early on but Morton successfully led me off track. Morton neatly ties up all the loose ends in the story and as you sit back and digest the book you realize, everything is connected.

The Forgotten Garden is a perfect summer book, it has the power to take you to interesting places in your imagination. What is your perfect summer book?
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Jun 08, 2010 Sunflower rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction-read-2010

Cute story. Entertainingish. This was only a 3 star book for me though. I can't agree with the "international bestseller" status. Firstly, I found the constant chopping between narrators and times annoying, though by the end of the book I had learnt to cope, and even developed a grudging admiration for the author being able to write this and tie up all the threads of the various generations without tripping herself up. Maybe she wrote three stories, and then just swapped the chapters around-I do ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Nell is found abandoned on a wharf in Australia after everyone else on a ship from Englnad has departed. She's taken in by a loving family but when she's told at age 21 that she's adopted Nell sets out to find the truth of her parentage. Nell's granddaughter Cassandra take sup the quest after Nell's death. Also involved during the late 1800's is Eliza Makepeace. The book alternates between these three women as the truth gradually unfolds.I liked the way the three stories meshed together and enjo ...more

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May 11, 2010 Tanya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: op-book-club-reads-2010-2014, 2010

I agree with the reviewers that stated this is a book to be read in long chunks of time rather than small segments here and there or you won't appreciate the characters as much and may be confused. That's how it was in the beginning for me.

I liked the inclusion of the fairy tales by the Authoress throughout the book and while it was easy to figure out who was involved with the mini-mysteries throughout, it was still interesting to understand why they had chosen the actions and paths they did. ...more

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Jun 05, 2009 Karen rated it liked it

This book was very long, but definitely worth the read. Reminded me of The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre. I hope to see more of this author.

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Aug 23, 2014 Ginger rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-literature

They say there are no bad books, only bad readers. It took me three weeks to get through this one, which is highly unusual for me. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I couldn't seem to really get into it - I don't know if it was the characters, the story, or just me.

I loved The House at Riverton, and sloughed through FG. I just never seemed to really want to pick it up.

This one came highly recommended from a trusted source so, I'll give Kate Morton another chance, but I just need a ...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Lara rated it liked it

Good plot but the characters were a little one-dimensional

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Jul 12, 2010 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: empty-nests-bookclub

Excellent book! Enjoyed having three generations narrate the story. Nell, narrating her feelings as she explored her roots to find out why she was abondoned on a ship bound for Austrailia; Granddaughter Cassandra picking up the thread of ancesters when she inherits a cottage in England from her grandmother. Then seeing the original story through the eyes of Rose Mountrachet and Eliza Makepeace, cousins,at Blackhurst Manor in Cornish coast of England.

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