Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Book Review


The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton.

I was so excited to see this new book by Morton, whose House at Riverton I received as a gift and found riveting.

Morton's style is just what I like - complex without being convoluted, multi-generational without being overly sentimental, and just enough mystery to keep me entertained. Her characters are authentic and likeable, their surroundings give a view into their personalities.

In this latest book, she weaves several layers of stories into an engrossing tale of family, belonging, and heartbreak. Sprinkled throughout are original fairy tales that spin the stories and fates of the characters: Nell, the little girl who turns up on the docks in Australia in 1913, having travelled alone from England; Rose and Eliza, cousins bound by secrets in the first years of the new century; Cassandra, Nell's grand-daughter and receiver of her legacy in modern-day Australia and England; and the garden itself, which, reminiscent of Hodgson-Burnett's Secret Garden, is a character as enigmatic as any other.

I think I have a new favorite author.

(For more descriptions and reviews, see this page. )

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