Nell has no idea who she is. The young woman was raised in an Australian harbor town, the daughter of the dockmaster and his wife. But on her twenty-first birthday, her father shares news that will change her life. It turns out that Nell is not her father's daughter. In fact, her father doesn't even know who she is. In 1913, when she was a small girl of only four, he found her on a wharf, abandoned and unable even to remember her own name.
Once the news has been broken to her, Nell is devastated, but unable to do anything. That is, at least, until the death of her father in 1975. After his passing, Nell receives the only remaining clues to her true identity, among them a book of fairytales. Once she receives them, a cascade of memories comes flowing quickly back to Nell. She does not know what they all mean, but she knows that the answers to her questions are to be found in England.
As Nell works to connect the dots to her past, she learns that the author of her fairytale book may have some information for her. But just as she is drawing near the end of her journey, an unexpected obstacle blocks the path. And so begins the story of The Forgotten Garden, a century-long tale of searching for the mysteries which the past holds.
Kate Morton is an Australian author who has achieved international acclaim with several of her novels. A native of Tamborine Mountain, Morton is a graduate of both Trinity College London and Queensland University. She is currently working toward a PhD which focuses in contemporary novels which marry gothic and mystery literature. Her husband Davin is a jazz musician and composer. Together they have two children, and live in the Brisbane suburb of Paddington.
"Just finished the forgotten garden. Excellent book. The story is well written. A little slow at times, but the depth of character and the different times could have left you confused but Morton's story is so well crafted that I could follow it all. The complexity of the plot is why I give 5 stars. Just when I thought I may have figured out what the author was hinting, it would go a different way. This book even references "The Secret Garden" at one point, which I wondered by the title if this story was some sort of rehash, but it really wasn't. Her fairy tales are so well written. So much going on here and all it done masterfully. I usually don't give 5 stars, but the world that she created deserved it."
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Teri (5 out of 5 stars)