Saturday, December 4, 2010

2010 Book 25 - The Forgotten Garden

I just finished Kate Morton's novel The Forgotten Garden and loved it. But, before I get into the reasons why I loved this book let's take a look at the back-cover write-up.
A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book - a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell's death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery. The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

First and foremost, this book is really a mystery, what really happened way back when and while I had a really good idea of what really happened about 2/3 of the way through, it was really intriguing to learn the bits and pieces and how Kate Morton fleshed out the story. (Oh and there was the relationship of the generations of women and I'm all about enjoying tales that weave in the mother/daughter dynamic.) AND, on top of the whole story-line there was the locale and how it was described...beautiful!!!

Admittedly, this isn't a book for everybody. The intrigue that is in this mystery is of a very subtle, romantic flavor and not shoot-em-up-who-dunnit. It is a mystery of why, which I love. Enjoy!!

Oh, and I've hit my goal for the year of 25 books and I still have time to probably get at least one more book in and then I can claim averaging a book every other week.

2 comments:

Jaye said...

I think you have read more than 25...when did you start your count? But you are way ahead of me!!

Jane said...

You are so far ahead of me!!