The Forgotten Garden

The Forgotten Garden

by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton may be the best book I've read so far this year. I've always had a soft spot for books that weave several different story lines, voices, and time zones and The Forgotten Garden certainly did not disappoint.

The book centers on one main character, Nell Andrews, who was a four years old when she was found sitting alone on a dock on the Australian coast by the dockmaster, who, along with his wife, adopted her and raised her as their own. On her 21st birthday, her sense of self is shattered when her dad tells her the truth about her past, and she becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of who she is and why she had been on the ship that sailed from London to Australia.

Cut to Nell's granddaughter, Cassandra. Who was sent to live with Nell when she was 11, and moved back in with her after a tragedy shattered her life. After Nell's death, Cassandra picks up where Nell left off to finish solving the mystery of her past.

Cut to the early 1900's where we learn about The Authoress from Nell's forgotten past.

The intertwined story lines of The Forgotten Garden were slightly confusing at first, but after three or four chapters I was so engrossed in the story that they only served to keep me wanting more. What's more, Morton engineered the story lines so that, even though they spanned from 1900 to 2005, they flowed together, going from the present to the past as a new secret is revealed and then back again.

The Forgotten Garden is a page turner if I've ever read one, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you wanting more. I absolutely could not put it down.

Can't get enough?

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett - A childhood classic that is one of my absolute favorites! The Secret Garden is all about a wild child who comes to the grand manor house of her relatives after her parents have died and brings her sickly cousin back to life thanks to her fun loving spirit and a secret garden. When you think about it, this book mirrors, to an extent, the backstory of Nell's Authoress in The Forgotten Garden. There is even a clever elusion to The Secret Garden in the book.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay - If you love the way that The Forgotten Garden uses different time periods to solve a mystery about the past, you'll love Sarah's Key. For a more detailed analysis, see my previous post here.