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)

just awesome

I listen to audiobooks quite frequently (I am able during work since I have a lonely job), and besides series that I get completely absorbed in, this was the most wonderful book I've listened to in a while. I wish it hadn't ended. I even enjoyed the stories that Eliza wrote greatly. I will be listening to more that the author has written. I highly recommend.

Three stories in one!

This is a book that I will be listening to many times. There are three stories going on as the granddaughter, her grandmother and her great grandmother are revealed. The main character receives an inheritance of land and a mystery from her grandmother. The 3 stories unravel and are intertwined as you learn more about the fully developed characters. Descriptions, Suspense, Outstanding ending, Oh my!

SO Intriguing!

This book was absolutely wonderful! It IS long, but you can't wait to see where next event will take you and what new secret will be revealed. I loved going through each woman's life events from the past as the story unfolded. Was sorry when it was done, and am looking forward to listening to Kate Morton's other book.

I did not want this book to end

This is a complex historical/mystery novel, seamlessly winding three generations of women together. I never had any confusion following who was where, and I got to know the characters so well that when it ended I felt like I had lost a friend. This is going to be reread for me. If you are looking for something completely absorbing with rich detail and well rounded characters, this book is it.

Kate Morton knows how to weave a tale

Kate Morton is officially one of my favorite authors. Her development of characters and the weaving of time is beautiful!

One of the best on Audible

Although the listener will solve the mystery long before the characters, this book was a truly wonderful read. It’s a sentimental story, and while it does follow the romance novel rules that the protagonist must be shiningly beautiful, the characters are tough and not given to sentimentality. Strong female characters and their relationships drive this story. And while it’s nostalgic in some ways, it does not white wash the brutality of the past, for the poor or the rich. This attention to detail made the book both realistic and interesting to me. It will make you want to learn more about your own grandmother and great grandmothers’ real lives, while revealing that we can only research and reconstruct a partial picture of the past.

I found the narrator to be excellent. Her American accent is way off though, so her English accents may be as well, I can’t tell. This is only a small part in the book and was just humorous to me, not distracting- do we really sound like that?

Finely Woven Mystery

Loved this book! I tried it as a result of a sale on Audible and thoroughly enjoyed the story.
All of the voices and the narration are especially well done. Now I have to go see what else has been written by Ms Morton....

Blown away!

This was my first listen to Kate Morton, and I am blown away! Although this is quite a lengthy book, I found that I devoured it in a matter of days, stealing moments -- cleaning house, cooking supper, driving -- just to listen to this lovely tale. Just a warning -- once you listen to this book, you will have it on the brain for a long time, and you'll find yourself searching for more Kate Morton here on Audible. Thankfully, you will find more. I look forward with great anticipation to Morton's upcoming works!

A fairy tale mixed with a mystery

What made the experience of listening to The Forgotten Garden the most enjoyable?

Loved Caroline Lee's narration of this story. Perfect!

Any additional comments?

I couldn't stop listening to this wonderful story with its twists and turns. A magnificent tale that weaves its way through past and present and mixes fairy tale and mystery together in a magical way. Wonderful character development and descriptive narrative. Great listen! I highly recommend it!

Very Personal Mystery

No cops, no murder, but a decades-old mystery about the origins of a particular family. Three generations of characters and their memories punctuated by original fairy tales make this book unusual and engaging. The narrator did a great job: High- and low-class British accents as well as Australian and American accents made this audio book ring true.

I recommend it!