Book Review
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
This is a past to present book.
The past
Nell, who she thought she was .... wasn't....The story of her life, in finding herself. So what was her name- And why was she abandoned on a voyage from England to Australia-
The present
Cassandra, who is. When Nell died in Brisbane 2005, Cassandra (Nells grand daughter) became a detective in finding out Nells past, with inheriting a derelict "Manor", she travels to England, Cornwall to discover the truth, but what does Cassandra find- Secrets and "stories" of the local village has Cassandra biting her nails (but at least not the toothbrush).
I'm afraid the "past to present" jumped around abit for me, I found it wasn't a smooth transition (to say, like Barbara Erksine who does this exceptionally well)..... And I got myself so confused .... So for me it felt .... Disjointed.... So in the end I gave up noting what was what and who was who and just got my head down and just had a jolly good old read... This is the only criticism of this particular book I had. Don't get me wrong though, just because I couldn't follow the story fully, it doesn't mean I didn't like the book, infact on the contrary really. I learnt alot from this book, there were some heavenly surprises and got lost in the magical realm of "the" forgotten garden. Apart from that, Kate Mortons writing is exquisite, the descriptive writing was so enjoyable, it was like wrapping yourself up with soft down feathers (of a duck) from an eiderdown. I adored all the positivity in this book, I found lots of quotes that I highlighted in the book. I was pleasantly surprised by the three fairy tales within the book, I have never struck that before and it added another dimension to the book. Absolutely loved and lived the story line, the concept was incredibly imaginative. Lastly a huge pleasant surprise, as my mouth opened wide and I sat for a while, I couldnt believe a name I just read, however, if I had not read the book before this one I wouldn't have picked it up. Did anyone guess who Nells parents were- I did, it was no surprise to me.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes past to present books, who likes historical fiction, especially, Australia (Queensland) and England (Cornwell) and who likes big, thick books, as this ones 648 pages fat.
I would like to thank Ellen Read for gifting me this book .... What a ride!! what an adventure!! .... What a book!!

Kate Morton has magnificently written a breathtaking multi-generational family saga rich with secrets history mystery and fairytales. Told by weaving in and out of three women's lives over three time periodsÖEliza (early 1900's) Nell (1970's) and Cassandra (present 2005)Öeach containing a piece of the puzzle towards the true identity of Nell. Found in 1913 aboard a ship sailing from England to Australia young Nell was abandoned carrying only a small suitcase by someone she vaguely remembers as the Authoress. Adopted by a loving Australian family at 21 she learns of her unknown ancestry. Using a fairy tale book written by Eliza Makepeace from the suitcase as a starting point she travels to England to find her true identity. Fast forward to the present when granddaughter Cassandra inherits a mysterious English cottage after Nell dies. Following the footsteps of her grandmother Cassandra continues the search for Nell's history. The engaging mystery unfolds through the lives of Eliza Nell and Cassandra.

Ms. Morton is truly a gifted storyteller who has masterfully created three intriguing enthralling storylines and brilliantly intertwined them together. Her eloquent evocative writing beautifully brings each scene to life and wonderfully captures the ambiance of that particular time and place. The strong compelling female characters thoroughly captivated me in the opening pages and never let go. Ms. Morton marvelously embellishes the story with the magic of Eliza Makepeace's enchanting fairy tales scattered throughout. I absolutely loved this thoroughly entertaining book and I highly recommend it!

Immaculate condition for previously loved book.
Excellent storyline, with twists and turns throughout. Couldn't put it down

I bought this on the recommendation of a friend not really expecting a lot. I was pleasantly surprised and found it a 'hard to put down' book. Great read. Like few books I was sorry when I finished it and would like to see a sequel.