Bookworm Review: “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Washington Square Press
February, 2010
Format: Paperback, 549 pages

First Line: It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she’d been told.

From the back cover: A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book- a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. One her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, “Nell” sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

My thoughts: This was my first time reading Kate Morton and she did not disappoint. As soon as I read “fairy tales” on the back cover while standing in the book store, I knew I had to read this novel. When I was a child, my grandmother always read fairy tales to me. Because of this, I have always loved them and the memories they created. This was a book that I had a hard time putting down, so I recommend that you only start it when you have time to read for a while.

Nell takes us on her journey to England where she learns of her ancestors but, sadly, does not complete the mystery. It is not until her death that the secrets of Blackhurst Manor and the Mountrachet family are uncovered by her granddaughter, Cassandra. Cassandra has been through a lot in her life – being abandoned by her mother and the loss of her husband and son. Will she find peace and maybe even happiness while searching for the answers she seeks?

If you like mystery novels or fairy tales, this book is definitely for you. It took be back to my childhood (not that this book is in any way meant for a child) but it reminded me of why I fell in love with fairy tales and why ancestry is so important. I give this book 5 stars.

(I purchased this book)

Happy reading!

-LC