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ashleyelizabeth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Oh my gosh the ANXIETY this gave me!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
utahmomreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Forgotten Garden is one of those glorious books that is easy to get lost within the pages. While the language is not overdone (just coming off Hawthorne, it initially seemed a bit simple, in fact), Morton does a good job of describing the setting and the fascinating, odd and frightening characters within it.
It's long but it's one of those stories that I really couldn't put down once I'd started reading it, much to Utah Dad's chagrin. The story takes center stage in this novel. Morton has no social agendas or deep themes. She is simply telling a fascinating and sometimes horrifying tale. Using various characters' viewpoints and skipping back and forth to and from the past, Morton carefully weaves the tantalizing and intriguing tale.
In 1913, a small girl disembarks from a ship in Australia. She is alone, carrying a small suitcase and has forgotten her name. The dock master takes her home to his wife. They name her Nell and raise her as their own. On her twenty first birthday, her father tells her the truth of her origins and she embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of her forgotten past. Even though she gets close, the full truth will remain hidden in spite of Nell's efforts. Eventually her granddaughter Cassandra will take up the search when she discovers that upon her grandmother's death she has inherited a cottage on the sea cliffs of England. With the cottage she also discovers a walled garden, a secret garden. A forgotten garden.
The garden and a few aspects of this novel reminded me of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and I had to laugh when later in the book, Morton works in a scene with the famous novelist and implies that the inspiration for Burnett's work came from this forgotten garden on the Cornish Coast. Clever indeed.
I highly recommend it as a fabulously pleasurable read. Enjoy!
It's long but it's one of those stories that I really couldn't put down once I'd started reading it, much to Utah Dad's chagrin. The story takes center stage in this novel. Morton has no social agendas or deep themes. She is simply telling a fascinating and sometimes horrifying tale. Using various characters' viewpoints and skipping back and forth to and from the past, Morton carefully weaves the tantalizing and intriguing tale.
In 1913, a small girl disembarks from a ship in Australia. She is alone, carrying a small suitcase and has forgotten her name. The dock master takes her home to his wife. They name her Nell and raise her as their own. On her twenty first birthday, her father tells her the truth of her origins and she embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of her forgotten past. Even though she gets close, the full truth will remain hidden in spite of Nell's efforts. Eventually her granddaughter Cassandra will take up the search when she discovers that upon her grandmother's death she has inherited a cottage on the sea cliffs of England. With the cottage she also discovers a walled garden, a secret garden. A forgotten garden.
The garden and a few aspects of this novel reminded me of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and I had to laugh when later in the book, Morton works in a scene with the famous novelist and implies that the inspiration for Burnett's work came from this forgotten garden on the Cornish Coast. Clever indeed.
I highly recommend it as a fabulously pleasurable read. Enjoy!
chars_cats's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't finish this book. I had to stop because the main character is so bitter, rude and mean, I didn't want to spend any more time with her. However, this was for a book club I am a part of and many others in it absolutely loved this book and the journey it took them on.
emmamolyneux's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
caro_vanille's review against another edition
5.0
Excellente lecture. J'ai été prise par les histoires de ces trois femmes. Le style est fluide, très agréable à lire. Les révélations au compte goutte nous tiennent en haleine et j'ai failli pleurer devant la conclusion. Une très bonne lecture pour commencer l'année !
shanhautman's review against another edition
4.0
Solid page turner. Setting and premise held my attention.
kumquatandthemoon's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Kate has a beautiful way with words, which often surprised me and made me think about a certain sentence. The story starts strong and keeps you reading but towards the end I wished a bit more insight into Cassandra’s life to understand her character development better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child abuse
bizzylizzie's review against another edition
4.0
Nice Escape
Easy read with enough mystery and twists to not be entirely predictable, yet has a comforting familiarity. Well developed characters and moves easily between time periods.
Easy read with enough mystery and twists to not be entirely predictable, yet has a comforting familiarity. Well developed characters and moves easily between time periods.