The Forgotten Garden (2008)

The Forgotten Garden is a cross-generational mystery about a girl named Nell who was found on a dock in Australia and adopted into a local family. When Nell is old enough she sets out to solve the mystery of her identity with very few clues except a book and a memory of a lady called “the authoress.” Her search is continued by her granddaughter, and as they both search the lives of their ancestors are revealed to the reader.

The Forgotten Garden is at its heart a book about identity; about who people are in their own right, but also about how the actions and character of ancestors live on long after they are gone. The story alternates perspectives between the women of their family. Part of the fun for the reader is in knowing more than the characters do, because as they research the past and get glimpses via diaries and notes, we get to flash back and read about the actual occurrence as it happened.

This is a finely crafted novel with well-developed characters (as it ought to be at 560 pages). If you want to lose yourself in a family saga then this is the book for you. It has the feel of a historical fiction novel, yet flirts with the Gothic genre as well at times, with an undercurrent of suspense and an old family curse. ( )

It's wonderful how different generations live simultaneously in the readers mind. For those that enjoy historical fiction, it's always a treat when the past walks through the door - or in this case - through the garden gate. ( )

I rarely give 5 stars, but this book earned it. The strong female characters, the 4 generations of women, all searching for their lineage. I loved the bit of mystery and surprises. The garden is a place I'd love to go. It reminds me of the gardens I visited in Germany. A wonderful novel. ( )

I read this book last year and quite enjoyed it. You can read my review of The Forgotten Garden over at my blog (contains some spoilers): http://www.rulethewaves.net/blog/?p=1634 ( )

It's kind of hard not to like Kate Morton's novels. Her stories seem to always have the elements that suck me in: family secrets, shifts from past to present, an ability to capture the particular era she's writing about, and a nice variety of characters. Though I have all of her books on my shelf, this is actually only the second I've read, but based on reviews & such, I always got the feeling this was the "best" of the bunch. So I feel as though I went into this one with higher-than-usual expectations. And while I enjoyed this story a lot, I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed. I think I was expecting near-flawlessness & a 5-star rating, but it wasn't quite there for me. I felt there were a few loose ends, or rather a few characters, that weren't explored as much as the reader was led to believe they would or could be. Regardless, the overall storyline of this novel was intriguing, as Morton's often seem to be, and I still consider her one of my favorite authors. I look forward to reading her other books just as much as I did before. ( )