The Forgotten Garden: A Novel

Overview

From the internationally bestselling author of The House at Riverton, an unforgettable new novel that transports the reader from the back alleys of poverty of pre-World War I London to the shores of colonial Australia where so many made a fresh start, and back to the windswept coast of Cornwall, England, past and present

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 with very little to go on, "Nell" sets out on a journey to England to try to trace her story, to find 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. At Cliff Cottage, on the grounds of Blackhurst Manor, Cassandra discovers the forgotten garden of the book's title and is able to unlock the secrets of the beautiful book of fairy tales.

This is a novel of outer and inner journeys and an homage to the power of storytelling. The Forgotten Garden is filled with unforgettable characters who weave their way through its spellbinding plot to astounding effect.

Morton's novels are #1 bestsellers in England and Australia and are published in more than twenty languages. Her first novel, The House at Riverton, was a New York Times bestseller.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews for this product are not available at this time.

Author Information

Bio of Kate Morton

Kate Morton, a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland. She lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia, and is writing her second novel.

Customer Reviews

• Couldn't put it down

  Posted February 11, 2010 by Tiffany, San Diego

  I loved, loved, loved this book. I literally could not put it down and jammed through it in just a few days (that is with a new baby).

• Really captivating

  Posted November 20, 2009 by Suzie, Quebec city, Canada

  This book was a real entertainment, It is very well written, well conceived. I bought the book because of the reviews previously written, and they were right, thank you!

• LOVED IT

  Posted August 15, 2009 by Mags, North Carolina

  The story was captivating. This was my first Kate Morton book but it will not be my last. Read it !

• Wonderful Read

  Posted July 27, 2009 by Beth, Safety Harbor

  I could not put this book down. I felt as if I was right in the garden with all the characters. I am now going to read her previous book The House of Riverton.

• Wonderful read!

  Posted May 27, 2009 by Farleigh, Westfield, NJ

  I loved this novel. I normally read for an hour of two before bed at night. I became so engrossed that my reading light stayed on until the wee morning hours. Do yourself a favor and read "The Forgotten Garden".

Additional Info

Imprint

Atria

Filesize

1.57 MB

Number of Pages

560

eBook ISBN

1416572066