The Forgotten Garden - Softcover

Morton, Kate

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330456962 ISBN 13: 9780330456968

Publisher: Pan Books, 2008

Synopsis

1913 On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned after a gruelling ocean voyage from England to Australia. All she can remember of the journey is that a mysterious woman she calls the Authoress had promised to look after her. But the Authoress has vanished without a trace. 1975 Now an old lady, Nell travels to England to discover the truth about her parentage. Her quest leads her to Cornwall, and to a beautiful estate called Blackhurst Manor, which had been owned by the Mountrachet family. What has prompted Nell's journey after all these years? 2005 On Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into a surprise inheritance. Cliff Cottage, in the grounds of Blackhurst Manor, is notorious amongst the locals for the secrets it holds - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is at Cliff Cottage, abandoned for years, and in its forgotten garden, that Cassandra will uncover the truth about the family and why the young Nell was abandoned all those decades before.

About this title

Review:

'A beautifully written and satisfying novel.' -- Daily Express

'A haunting story of the search for identity...is packed with memorable characters and evocative settings. ' -- Choice Magazine

'Chunky, well-written tale...' -- Dorset Echo

'The Forgotten Garden simmers with secrets and strangeness.' -- Good Housekeeping

'The Forgotten Garden weaves its powerful spell slowly and beautifully.' -- Waterstone's Books Quarterly

'The story is full of twists and turns that kept hold of me all the way through.'
-- Evening Gazette

'What a fantastic second novel this is. I would be surprised if it wasn't another award-winner.' -- South Wales Argus

`A fantastic second novel.' -- Cornwall Today

`Perfect for a long afternoon in a deck chair' -- Gloss Magazine

`great holiday reading...an unusual book but one that keeps the reader guessing until the truth is unravelled at the end.' -- Nuneaton Telegraph

Review:

"A beautifully written and satisfying novel." (The Daily Express)

"The Forgotten Garden weaves its powerful spell slowly and beautifully." (Waterstone's Quarterly magazine)

"After her grandmother, Nell's, death, Cassandra wants to know how Nell turned up, alone, in Australia as a child, and what a children's author had to do with it. Caroline Lee's elegant voice has an ethereal quality that emphasizes the fairy-tale motif that runs throughout this novel, but her delivery is also realistic enough to keep the story grounded. She holds listeners' attention well, guiding them through a complex story that moves among three generations as Cassandra follows the mystery's threads. By the time Cassandra finds her answers, the vivid characters will have listeners enthralled. Even though it features a tale of childhood with a fairy-tale motif, Morton's grim story is for grown-ups." (AudioFile Magazine)

About this edition

• Publisher: Pan Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0330456962
• ISBN 13: 9780330456968
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 656