The Forgotten Garden

This is a solid book. It can be hard these days to find a novel that isn\’t predictable or derivative of another work. I truly enjoy novels that can surprise and shock me. This was one of them. I\’ve had this book for about 5 years, now, and I\’ve read it 3 times. I also recommended it to my Mother-in-Law who listened to the audiobook. The first time I read it, I stayed up the better part of two nights to finish it! Ha, I just couldn\’t put it down! I really wanted to see what was going to happen next, and the author did a great job of keeping me in the dark! There were a few things that I caught early, but some not until they were written right out! I loved the fairy-tales that were included with this novel! I can\’t believe she wrote those! They were completely unexpected, super magical, and allowed you to dive deeper into certain characters and understand their reasonings and motivations. Such a unique and awesome idea. I don\’t want to give anything from the plot away, as I personally hate when reviews do that! I will say that I\’ve lent it out to friends, and reccomended it as well. I look forward to a couple of years from now when I \”forget\” enough and it will be a fresh read again. It gets better every time.

Well, Ms. Morton, you are, indeed, a storyteller! I\’ve read the Lake House and now this book, and I loved both stories! I enjoy the way two very different centuries are woven together to tell this tale, and the characters are full and real…..I, as you can tell, am NOT a professional reviewer, just a book addict who wants to say thank you for sharing your talent!

HISTORICAL FICTION, A young girl is abandoned on a ship bound from London to Australia in the early 1900\’s. She carries a small white suitcase with little in it and a lovely book of fairy tales. She is taken in by the Harbor Master and his wife, given the name Nell and raised as their own. At age 21 she is told of her mysterious arrival…. hence forth she begins her personal journey to discover her beginnings, and who she really is and how a lovely book plays into her past. The search takes decades and the torch is handed over to her granddaughter Cassandra, to complete the journey. We are taken from Australia to the lovely Cornish coast of England and a dark past that wishes to remain hidden. This is a story of self discovery, family ties and the relationship(s) between Mothers and Daughters. What we do for \”love\” is at the core of the story. An enjoyable read!!

What a decadent, delicious read! This is the second of Kate Morton\’s books that I have read and I must have more! I savored every, single page of this book. Would it be presumptuous of me to say that perhaps this is the best book I have ever read? I\’m not sure, but it surely comes close. The story is mysterious, interesting and provoking. I could perhaps predict what may happen next but I would be wrong. There was only one detail in this book that I thought to know before the reader will have found out but somehow, I believe that Kate wanted it that way and even though I knew … she uncovered the clues so deliciously that it felt good and right. Don\’t worry … you will feel the sensation of validation and I certainly did. Really … so delicious! The characters in this story were vivid, wonderful and very believable. I wanted to hate the oppressors! They were mean, vindictive, cruel, self-serving and completely without morals. How could you not love a character like that who\’s sole purpose was to enrich a story?! And yet, I could feel sympathy for them because they were conditioned by their environments and could only behave the way they were trained to do so. There were endearing characters in this story that you can fall in love with only to have your heart ripped out because of the circumstances that uncovered flaw and destiny. I rejoiced with them, fell in love with them, savored their innocence and understood that life\’s circumstances invite one to measure up, take charge or coward and withdraw in the anguish. You will always be invited to root for the underprivileged. Oh yes, a juicy read that enriches the readers life and the tickle of intimacy and creativity that invites the reader to acknowledge a longing for a life of adventure and mystery. Yes … a little bit of history laced in the pages of this book that elude to a time long ago and happenings that the reader may not have been present for but could only imagine. Indeed, this is a book of escape where one can savor the tastes of a fine meal where the flavors dance on the tongue and travel to the stomach only to nourish the body that seeks meaning and purpose. Definitely … a must read!

I enjoyed The Forgotten Garden. Morton’s beautifully descriptive writing brings the past to life as it has in her other books. But also like her other books, the story follows the same formula. A present-day narrator discovering a mystery in her family’s past and attempting to solve it. This version wasn’t quite as successful because the narrators’ voices were very similar. I enjoyed Eliza’s portions of the story more than Nell’s and felt that Cassandra and Rose’s portions were a little lackluster in comparison. Though it is a bit rambling in places and I felt the ending was predictable, it was an entertaining read.

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