The Forgotten Garden

By: Kate Morton

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

"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)

Another Winner from Kate Morton

If you have not read The Shifting Fog (The House at
Riverton) or this new one then you have two TREATS
in store. Kate Morton is a story teller extraordinaire and Caroline Lee adds the magic with
her superb narration. Dark family secrets,evil behavior,enthralling characters some of whom are damaged beyond repair are all uncovered as Nell struggles to find who she really is. If you like
storytelling as it used to be this one is for you!

A pleasant suprise

I purchased this because it was on sale for $4 and had good reviews, I am glad I happened across it. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. The story was a pleasure to listen to. I don't always go for mystery novels, but this one had me guessing from the beginning.

The best part of the story for me was the framing of original fairy tales through out the novel. They were all a pleasure to read and added just enough fantasy into the mix.

If you are on the fence about this one, it is well worth your credit.

Gratitude to listeners who recommended this book

Wow, such a wonderful story! I am so grateful to those reviewers who rated the book a 5 in contrast with the few who rated the book a 1. Without their comments I would have missed this enjoyable experience. I loved the nostalgic use of fairytale language to craft a modern day mystery. Certainly for those of us who grew up loving fairytales, but still grounded in adult realism to need a believable story. I loved the process of listening, I loved the narrator's voice and the magical way she could spin a tale, and I am so grateful to Audible for bringing the story to life.

Not my favorite at all

What a lot of horrible women! Those poor kids. Very convoluted. Seemed like same old plot.

great narration beautiful story

This book has a magical realism feel to it, it may be because of the fairytales being told throughout but I really enjoyed this beautiful story. It is a hard book to classify so I’m not going to pigeon hole it anywhere. I enjoyed the 3 different generations of women in this story and how their stories intertwined. This book is about family secrets and of how that affects generations. It spans from England to Australia in the early 1900 to the 2000’s. With each generation of women finding something about the past while at the same time finding something about themselves in the process.

I did enjoy this book very much however towards the end though you just want to scream at Cassandra and say hello I figured it out why can’t you! This book can be very sad at times and some may find the jumping around in time not to their liking. But I like books that show different time periods so I enjoyed that part. The prologue has a definite magical realism feel. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

The fairytales are a great and I wish there was an actual book of these fairytales!

I listened to this on audio narrated by Caroline Lee who does a fantastic job with all the accents from English, Australian & American.

Sappy, but very good narration

"The Forgotten Garden" is a bit like a Hallmark or Lifetime mini-series, perhaps too much soap opera for my usual taste. Its meant to be a mystery, but I'm guessing that most readers, like myself, figure out the solution well before the half-way point.
However, it's reasonably well-written and makes a great beach read or lightweight reading if you're stuck in bed with the flu. The narration is quite good: Clear with good distinctive voices for the characters. (Though it's got silly music between the chapters...) I'd seek out the narrator again, and she's what has bumped my review to four stars.

Story for a "rainy day and warm fire"

Couldn't turn this audio book off .Can't stop and start with this one though, as it does take place during three different time periods and can be confusing. If you liked "Rebecca", or "The 13th Tale", you'll enjoy this one of Kate Mortons.

I loved this one!

A great story developed by going back and forth in time to discover the reason for a child's abandonment aboard a boat to Australia. The story is well written and executed. Also - very well read. I am hooked by Kate Morton's writing style and want to listen to more.

Loved It

I just loved this book! It was a bit hard at first to keep the characters straight until I realized the dates stated at the beginning of a change helped keep it straight. Otherwise, a great story and great narrator. I wish Audible had more than 2 of her books available. My new favorite.

The Forgotten Garden

A great yarn with suspense, intrigue and a great cast of characters. Hated to hear it come to an end. Enjoyed the book very much.