Title: The Forgotten Garden

Author: Kate Morton

Publisher: Washington Square Press 2008

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 552

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC - About a family; Genre - Women's Fiction; Women Authors; TBR Pile

How I Got It: I own it

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-fi rst 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.

Our February book Club selection and I freaking loved it!  It's a gorgeous novel tracing the exposure of a huge mystery.  I love Morton's writing.  Even attempting to follow multiple narrators, I didn't have any problems.  Morton seamlessly transitions between times and narrators.  I was with each of the characters throughout.  Speaking of characters, I was in love with all of them.  Well, that's not exactly true.  Rose and Adeline were definitely the villains of the piece.  Of course, Rose is unintentionally a villain, but still her reversal towards Eliza makes her a suitable villain.  I felt very connected with Cassandra and Nell and Eliza.  There was something about those three characters that just pulled me straight in.  And the mystery kept me guessing for most of the book.  I admit that I figured it out before the big reveal, but Morton's storytelling kept me engaged throughout.  Amazing book.  Now I must add Morton's other books to my TBR list.