Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden

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 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.

Elizabeth McInerney 

Loved the three perspectives that she switched between each chapter and that she wrapped everything up in a way that answered all of the mysterious questions. Great twists and turns and layers throughout.

One of my favorite books of all time. Bittersweet, heartbreaking, beautiful, and spectacularly written. Highly developed characters and plots, mystery, a little romance, and a lovely triple generation narration! Loved every moment.

Lindsey Sims

Absolutely loved it, the way it written is magical, this is my new favorite. I may not have cried a river but when i tell you i've never felt so moved by the story and how the plot plays out?? Seriously you have to read it, no matter how i describe it, i wont make it justice.  I will read all the authors books now because this is art. And if i could pay to have this book rebounded for it last a millenium i would. Also you will hate some characters, thats how you know its good.

Mofu

a novel

The forgotten garden

Colleen

The Forgotten Garden held such promise, but it was completely disappointing. So yet again I am left giving a low rating to a popular historical fiction novel. I truly do not understand what so many people saw in this book.

The opening was weak. Starting the story from the viewpoint of a four year old that has no idea what is going on did not engage me in the story. You have to give the readers something to grab onto before you start throwing the unknown at them. But instead, the story opens giving you no foundation or any idea who anyone is or what is happening or what has happened. Rather than being intriguing, it was confusing.

From there, the story proceeds to skip around between several different points of view and span over a century. This is not a form of writing of which I am fond. If I had realized ahead of time that The Forgotten Garden was written that way, I probably would have avoided it altogether. This is the third book in a row that I have read that had nonlinear, multiple points of view. But whereas The Night Circus built a magical, intriguing world and East of Eden was brimming with beautiful prose, I can't think of anything to recommend The Forgotten Garden. Not only does the story skip between several characters and decades, it also uses letters, journals, a biography, fairy tales, flashbacks, and random dreams to sluggishly push the plot along. The result is a confusing, inconsistent mess. This was by no means the "captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past" that it was promised to be.

Any credibility of being historically detailed was lost to me early on. The second chapter, which is set in 1930, makes a huge deal of one of the characters having a coming of age party for her twenty-first birthday. In 1930. Never mind that at that time women were considered "of age" at sixteen or eighteen. That was the whole purpose of a Sweet Sixteen party back then. Perhaps Australia does things differently. I don't know. Are there any Australian anthropologists in the house? (view spoiler)[ I did read somewhere that the author's grandmother found out on her twenty-first birthday that she was adopted and that that was the foundation of the novel. But I did not feel compelled to verify if that was true or not. I already spent enough time trudging through 549 pages of tedium. (hide spoiler)]

The characters were unlikable and lacked complexity. Nell was my least favorite. (view spoiler)[Yes, she rates even lower than creepy Uncle Linus. She is supposed to be the heroine. But I just can't root for a character who upon finding out that she is adopted completely turns her back on her loving family, sabotages her relationship with her fiancé, lets her own bitterness keep her from showing any love towards her own biological child, and takes her petty, pathetic grudges to her grave. It made me furious when Cassandra justifies Nell’s lifetime of bitterness and self-martyrdom by saying that she understands Nell’s pain. She then compares the pain of losing her husband and son in an accident to Nell’s pain at discovering she was adopted. Bullshit. You will not convince me that finding out that your loving family saved you and raised you as their own is IN ANY WAY COMPARABLE to the tragic deaths of family members. Get over yourself, Nell.  (hide spoiler)] And since Nell is the fulcrum of much of the story, I just couldn't become interested in it.

Many of the characters were also inconsistent in their actions. It seemed that the characters were twisted to conveniently fit the plot rather than having their actions drive what happened. There was no character development; they had no depth or personality. The characters’ aggregate lack of empathy or ability to love made me wonder if this family had so much frontal lobe damage that they were all borderline sociopaths. Early on, I found myself wondering if the author had a huge hatred of British upper class to make them all so unpleasant and miserable. 

Morton also seems to have forgotten cardinal rule of writing: Show; don't tell. Instead, because the characters are so flat and inconsistent, she has to tell the audience what they are. This character is wild. That character is willful. Their defining traits are spelled out rather than supported through their actions. The characters were so flat that at one point, I read most of the way through a chapter thinking it was about a different character than it actually was. That is how dull these characters were. And since Cassandra follows the journey that her grandmother made, there is a lot of overlap.

The plot was extremely slow and predictable. This was billed as Nell and Cassandra trying to solve the mystery of their family. But the answer to the mystery was very easy to guess. I kept hoping there was more to it, but there really wasn’t. Sure, the book sent me off on so many red herrings and false leads that I stuck with it hoping there was going to be an epic conclusion. There were so many possibilities of interesting things that never went anywhere. (view spoiler)[I mean, a family curse, lost treasure, smugglers' tunnels under the estate? Those were all thrown in there for nothing. A grand old house and the only interesting thing they find in it is one painting and some scrapbooks? The incestuous plot line with the uncle felt like the author set up then chickened out and couldn't put in writing. Not that I have ever wanted to read about incest, but it would have made the story more complex and more compelling. Actually, the relationship between Eliza and Rose felt incestuous as well. Not in an overtly sexual way, but Eliza tries to replace the hole left by her twin brother by developing an enmeshed relationship with her cousin. And of course it leads to her doom. (hide spoiler)] But the secrets were all fairly obvious. The characters refer to them often although it was always in a vague and obtuse way that was extremely frustrating. Rather than building excitement, it just seemed like I was being beat on the head with the “secrets” until I felt like a piñata at a birthday party. 

Actually, let’s stick with the piñata analogy. Before I started reading, this book was like a brightly colored piñata that promised scrumptious secrets inside of it. But the more I tried to get inside of it, the more frustrated I got. Eventually, after days of hacking away, the damn thing broke open only to reveal nothing but dust inside of it. And there were still over a hundred pages to go. Even after the climax, the story continues limping along while the dimwitted Casandra tries to catch up. (view spoiler)[I mean seriously! Her grandmother had half the mystery solved. The entire thing falls into Cassandra’s lap. The most difficult thing she has to do is book a flight to the United Kingdom. This big, bad secret that was been forgotten for almost a century practically does a song and dance number in front of Cassandra and she still can’t figure it out. For crying out loud, once in England, she meets up with the daughter of one of her grandmother’s friends who just happens to have a crucial key to the “mystery” and by overdose of serendipity leads her to the one person who knows most of the story. But not until you have labored through almost six-hundred pages though (depending on what edition you’re suffering through.) But Cassandra is so dense that the author had to suddenly throw in some psychic dreams to patch the plot holes. If you have written the entire book without any magic or paranormal occurrences, then you should have the skill to write yourself out of the corner without having to resort to the easy way out. (hide spoiler)]

Lastly, I have to mention the obvious parallel to The Secret Garden. This book was touted about as The Secret Garden for grownups. I’m still not certain whether Morton just thought this story was cleverer than it is or whether it is an outright rip-off. The stolen elements go far beyond just the title and the fact the walled off, locked garden. (view spoiler)[I let most of the impersonations slide, but when Morton had Frances Hodgson Burnett appear at one of their garden parties and go so far as to imply that in this world Burnett was inspired to write her book by the garden in this story. And with that, it went from tip of the hat towards a classic to pompous rip-off. (hide spoiler)]

I found the ending insipid. What little intrigue there might have been had long since fizzled out. The characters were completely dull. And there was no beautiful writing to make up for the drawn out tedium. If you unscrambled the storyline, you would probably find that there is very little content. Switching back and forth was simply a longwinded way of extending a story that never had a good foundation. I was bored the whole way through. The ending lines of the last chapter were so incredibly cheesy. And with that, it starting pouring rain, and the empty remains of the piñata collapsed into a soggy heap of disappointment and dissatisfaction. I didn't hate it enough to give it only one star. But I disliked it enough that I doubt I will ever read anything by this author again.

edith w.

The older I get, the less tolerance I have with literature that doesn't engage me. I've adopted a 50 page rule for such books - if I'm not feeling it after 50 pages, I give up. I made it to page 45 of the Secret Garden and concluded that I'd probably given it a fair whack. Moving on...

Shifting back and forth over a span of nearly 100 years, this is a sprawling, old-fashioned novel, as well-cushioned as a Victorian country house, replete with family secrets, stories-within-stories, even a maze and a Dickensian rag-and-bone shop.--"Booklist."

Fran Lewis

Loved this book, very interesting to find out all the twists and turns.

Cheri McElroy

I can't do a recap justice. As with all Kate Morton novels, this is a gothic, sweeping saga covering over 100 years. It is about Eliza and Rose, living in England at the turn of the century, Nell, who lived in Australia from 1913-to 2005, and Cassandra, Nell's grandaughter. There is a large estate, a forgotten garden, and a wonderful Cornish coastal atmosphere. I loved this story of family secrets. You should read this.

Natalia Hernandez

This is the second book by Kate Morton I read, and although the construction of the story follows the same path I saw in the first book of hers I read, it's still a fun read. 

What happens to me is, I get a bit bored in the middle of the book. By then, I'm usually tired of one of the characters and I can't handle reading more backstory, but I keep reading and suddenly, I've read 50 pages in half an hour and I cannot wait to read the end because what? How come I didn't see that coming? And I'm good solving puzzles! So, that's why I keep reading her books.

I need a break from her now but I will go back to her in a while. I just know it.

Abandoned on a 1913 voyage to Australia, Nell is raised by a dock master and his wife who do not tell her until she grows up that she is not their child, a situation that causes her to return to England and eventually hand down her quest for answers to her granddaughter. Reprint.

A Novel

Scott Taylor

What starts as a simple story of a girl alone on a boat becomes a twisting tapestry of threads stretched between generations, seeking to find the connections and finally answers to a few mysteries all centered around one family line. Gaining new perspectives from various members of the family kept the story fresh and intriguing, playing delicately with dramatic irony making sure that we never knew too much. The beginning was a bit of a challenge to keep up with as so many new threads were shown to us but, by the end, we see just how they all go together.

This was a solid read. It just sort of seemed lackluster to me. The twist reveal was something I realized was going to happen about 200 pages before it was revealed to the reader. Either way, good writing and good characters.

Sandra Gomes

Magnífico. 

Uma história tão bem escrita, tão bem contada, que em mãos menos competentes seria dificílima de acompanhar.

Histórias que se entrelaçam, mistérios que se vão desvendando em três períodos de tempo distintos e, ainda assim, em simultâneo.

Personagens trágicas e tão bem escritas que parecem reais, adorei, adorei este livro!

Nicole Sargent-Carberry

It’s a long read, a lot of back and forth, but the ending is completely worth it.

Melody Izard

This book reminded me a lot of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. There is a bit of the mysterious - but not so much to call it magic. There is undiscovered history with some really bad stuff attached. And the characters have to muck about in the bad stuff if they want to pop out refreshed and with a sense of rebirth into the secret garden. Oh yeah it can be a bit formulaic - but is that really all that bad? 

I declare this book a good read.

Renee Delcourt

Holly cow... That was a wild ride of a book and makes me so incredibly sad. This is a book that traverses time and family secrets. Told across three different generations and following a book of fairy tales this book tells a story so complex that it will leave you a bit dizzy and winded. The story of Nell's lost family history unraveled by her granddaughter Cassandra is crossed over by a woman from Nell's past referred to by the Authoress. This story broke my heart just a little and I can't help but appreciate the fantastical way Kate Morton writes the narrative.

Deborah Baker

Loved this book. Kate Morton got my attention with The House at Riverton.

Laura

The Secret Garden has always been a favorite of mine and you get that same feel from this (in fact the author was introduced as a character). Well written though it takes just a bit to get used to the "time travel" but the interwoven stories tie together beautifully.

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

BookBook ReviewKate MortonLooking For Something To ReadRecommendThe Forgotten Garden
Exquisitely written by Kate Morton. That is the best way I can describe this book. Because I enjoyed this book so much, I will keep this short to avoid giving anything away.

This time bending novel follows six generations of a family, all revolved around a woman named Nell, to learn her secret.

Excellent character building, Morton kept the cast to a minimum which worked to truly create depth in her characters.

Lots of mystery, suspense, and a touch of sweetness. While this is touted as being a best seller, to me this is a hidden gem.

I think most everyone can enjoy this novel. Some modern characters, some Victorian history, and a touch of fantasy. Even a few things for the science minded.

Highly recommend!

https://southerntodaygonetomorrow.wor...

Jana Pashovska

Modern Gothic fiction with the heavily present themes of fairytales and specks of magic and their manevolent counterpart - dysfunctional Victorian families with sick and twisted ideals trying to corrupt whatever they don't understand and whatever doesn't fit in their tightly knit sinister schemes.

The book delves deep into the search for identity and belonging, into the pain of loss and its effects on the psyche , into the struggle for survival in this harsh world - elements which are shrouded by a dark mystery and fit perfectly into the foggy Cornish Gothic atmosphere. 

Overall, an incredible book with a very fairytale-like story-telling where the words simply flow from one to the next, making it hard to put down. And because fairytales, no matter how dark, usually get a semi-happy ending, this book provides that too, and the result is a very disturbed, but a comforting story that you'll find yourself so invested into that you wouldn't be able to sleep.

The Forgotten Garden

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