The Forgotten Garden

De: Kate Morton

Narrado por: Caroline Lee

A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, a maze, an aristocratic family, a love denied, a mystery - The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric, and a compulsive listen about the past, ghosts, family, and memories from best-selling author Kate Morton.

Thirty-eight year old Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident 10 years ago, feels like she has lost everything known and dear to her.

But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace Rutherford - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early 20th century - as well as a cliff-top cottage on the other side of the world, Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell, on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.

©2008 Kate Morton (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This debut page-turner...recounts the crumbling of a prominent British family as seen through the eyes of one of its servants....Morton triumphs with a riveting plot, a touching but tense love story and a haunting ending." ( Publishers Weekly)

Hours of enjoyable, fun listening

I am the kind of person who likes to read literary, "paper" books (classics, Russian lit, lit criticism) and listen to more popular, "fun" audiobooks (mysteries, historical fiction). I love to listen to a long audiobook (Wilkie Collins, Ken Follet) while driving or cleaning. One of my favorite audiobooks is "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield, and "The Forgotten Garden" is almost as good. I agree with other reviewers that it's a bit predictable, but even so, it's a sweeping, engrossing, and fun book to listen to. If you loved "The Thirteenth Tale," you will probably love "The Forgotten Garden," and so for that reason, I give it 5 stars.

Beautifully Performed Masterpiece!

I was skeptcial when I purchased this book. It's a classic, which is definitely not my favorite genre, and it's also very long. My fears ended with the first scene as I was transported to another time and place, when the story immediately grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. I became so wrapped up in the characters and mysteries that I didn't want to stop listening. The truth which is revealed at the end is very emotional -- shocking, gut-wrenching, sad, heartwarming and beautiful.

I cannot say enough about the narrator, Carolyn Lee. Her voices and accents were perfect for the story, and her performace was emotional and flawless. I cannot say enough about The Forgotten Garden. It's wonderful.

excellent book

I absolutely loved this book. I was spellbound by the characters, and loved the narrator's voice as she switched from person to person. This book jumps around quite a bit in time, which I was afraid would be confusing, but it clearly tells you which time period you are entering and you get so wrapped up in the characters lives that you wait impatiently for your "favorite" to cycle back. :) I would definitely recommend this to those who like great fiction.

Engrossing novel, good narrator

This book starts out a bit slowly, the most frustrating part at the outset being how the main character learns of her grandmother's "mysterious" beginnings from her great aunts. After that, the pace picks up and the story is engrossing. At first, I was annoyed by the music before each new chapter, but it grew on me as I learned to pay more attention, because the music signalled a change in the year. The narrator is quite good, though far better with female voices than male, and her American male New York accent is feeble. All in all, a good listen, and captivating story at a good price. I would definitely look for this author and narrator again.

Do we need the music?

Any additional comments?

Do we really need all the music interludes between chapters!?! Distracting at best... Caroline Lee is a fine reader and her skills do not require artificial music breaks.

Albeit an enjoyable listen with a fine tip of the hat to The Secret Garden, the book dragged a bit at the end. The plot twists and mysteries were not so complex that the last 4 hours listening time could have been condensed into 2 hours.