A moving and powerful mystery, The Forgotten Garden is the bestselling second novel from author of The House at Riverton, Kate Morton.1913On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned after a gruelling ocean voyage from England to Australia. All she can remember of the journey is that a mysterious woman she calls the Authoress had promised to look after her. But the … But the Authoress has vanished without a trace.1975Now an old lady, Nell travels to England to discover the truth about her parentage. Her quest leads her to Cornwall, and to a beautiful estate called Blackhurst Manor, which had been owned by the Mountrachet family. What has prompted Nell’s journey after all these years?2005On Nell’s death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into a surprise inheritance. Cliff Cottage, in the grounds of Blackhurst Manor, is notorious amongst the locals for the secrets it holds – secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is at Cliff Cottage, abandoned for years, and in its forgotten garden, that Cassandra will uncover the truth about the family and why the young Nell was abandoned all those decades before.
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I wish this author would write more novels. When you complete one you look forward to the one!
I love Kate Morton’s books, and this one has such a wonderful setting and twisting storyline. It’s a great read for anyone who loves abandoned places and the secrets kept hidden there.
I just love Kate Morten’s Books. I just live in that world while reading.
Loved it!
To say this book is a wonderful read is an understatement. What a page turner. The book flips between two very different time periods as troubled young woman in modern times searches to find the truth about her grandmother, a Cornish cottage and well-kept family secrets. It is a tragic story with interesting characters that will keep you reading late into the night.
This book enthralled me. There is such rich sensory detail here, along with fully developed characters, and a pace that doesn’t let go. This was my first Kate Morton novel — It WILL not be my last. 🙂
5 stars to Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden. The plot is mesmerizing and the story-telling of the grandmother and the granddaughter is unparalleled. Morton jumps from time period to time period, country to country, character to character in a flawless manner.
The imagery is astounding. The relationships are well planned. Morton keeps you guessing as to how it’s all connected with the garden up front and center the whole way through the ride.
Thoroughly enjoyed the journey this book takes you on. I am very happy with the ending!
This book needs to be read with an eternal perspective.
I could have read this long book again and again
This book is tremendous. For one there’s a map illustrating how Blackhurst Estate is configured. Any book that needs a map in order to help visualize the placement of the manor, harbor, cove, maze, hothouse, cottage, village and more is one that I want to read. The secrets that drive the timelines/plotlines and character development kept me riveted. Back and forth in time, the mystery of an antique book and family lore make this book a winner. I mean, it’s Kate Morton. How can it not be a winner?
Love, love this book! It’s like an adult Secret Garden.
If you only read 1 book this year, I’d pick this one. The characters were unpredictable, haunting, & unforgettable. A lot of intense drama, it was hard to put it down.
So far I have read all of her books and am awaiting a new one to surface. I check about every six months to see if there is a new edition out. What a wonderful storyteller! This is her best book, in my opinion so far.
Kate Morton’s novel, The Forgotten Garden, is a mesmerizing story of mystery and imagination.
In 1913 a little girl arrives in Brisbane, Australia on a ship from England. She’s alone with nothing more than a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a book of fairytales. No one claims the little girl, and the dockmaster and his wife take her in. She eventually becomes the oldest of five girls in a loving, caring family. It has always bothered the dockmaster that Nell doesn’t know that they aren’t her real parents; nor does the girl remember her origins. On her twenty-first birthday she is finally told how she became one of their family. It is shattering news to Nell, who feels betrayed.
Thus begins a life of seeking to find her identity. After her own family is grown, Nell is finally free to trace her true origins. Her quest takes her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast, the home of the Mountrachet family.
Years later, Nell’s beloved granddaughter Cassandra takes up the search to unravel the puzzle of her late grandmother’s past.
The Forgotten Garden’s intricate story leaps from 1913 to 2005, then 1975, back further to 1900, etc. yet all the while moving the story forward. It’s a time-line masterpiece with each cycle solving a bit of the mystery while new puzzles surface.
This is one of those books that will stay with me always. It was my introduction to Kate Morton’s work and I was impressed on many fronts: great prose combined with an exciting plot and intriguing, multi-dimensional characters had me hooked. The story is an emotional heavyweight but will have you turning the pages at warped speed.
I did not want to put down.
Love Kate Morton’s novels!
Wonderful book, with Kate Morton, her characters come alive. It keeps you guessing all the way through. I hated to put it down!
Probably my favorite novel. Loved it!
This author never fails to entertain me. A confirmation that our history does really form a basis for our present and future in unexpected ways.