I really lost myself in this book. It captured my interest and imagination immediately. I liked the way the story evolved through the use of the three time periods. The characters were well developed and all the loose ends were neatly tied. Well written and very enjoyable. ( )

Saw the big secret coming from miles away. ( )

It reminded me a little of A.S. Byatt, but without the literary aspirations. That sounds like I'm slamming either this or Byatt, but I mean it quite without connotation. It's a multi-generational family mystery plot that unfolds in a back-and-forth way, a present-day woman in Australia learns that her grandmother was a foundling child. The grandmother had attempted to investigate her true heritage in England, based mostly on clues connected to the small child's suitcase that was with her when she was discovered, including a beautifully illustrated book of fairy tales. The whole thing is a little homage-y with the Edwardian fairy tales and children's stories and fictional manor houses, which I thought was neat if you're into it, but possibly annoying if you're not.

It's very character-driven, this is where I was going with the A.S. Byatt comparison. They're very vivid and churn out the plot. One slight distracting note, though, was that while all the female characters were robust and filled in, I didn't feel like I got a good handle on any of the male characters at all. They seemed markedly flatter and lacking much spark.

Possibly some minor spoilers ahead, but I'm pretty vague ...I was able to figure out the details of the mystery ... oh, I'd say 85%. I was wrong on 15%, although I think my way would have been more realistic (but also ickier). This would be on the paternal identity issue. I'm still not convinced that events could have possibly unfolded the way they did in the book, I can't really believe anyone, much less the characters as written, would go along with that plan as described.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable and satisfying read, and I would recommend it to people who like family sagas, especially set in this time period. Grade: Strong and solid B. ( )

This is a very interesting book . It mirrors Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. This However is a much more adult take. A great picture of the 19th Century and the turn of the century . If you like this you will like A.S. Byatt's Possession and The Children's Book. These last two are more literary but all are enjoyable. ( )

The Forgotten Garden is a novel written from three perspectives in three different time periods. A 4-year-old girl is found abandoned on a ship in 1913 in Australia and nobody knows who left her to sail from England on her own. 90 years later, "Nell", dies leaving her granddaughter, Cassandra, with a mysterious child's suitcase, a book of fairy tales and a deed to a cottage in England, with directives for Cassandra to seek out Nell's past. This was a well-written novel that explores the history of a mysterious wealthy family and the events that preceded the young girl's abandonment on the ship for the new world. As the story unravels, it twists in unexpected ways like the fairy tales in the mysterious storybook. This novel was very enjoyable and entrancing and the full story is not revealed until the very end. A great magical read. ( )