The Forgotten Garden

In 1913, a four‑year‑old girl from London was found sitting alone on a wharf in Maryborough, Australia. She had nothing with her except a small white suitcase containing a book of fairy tales. Hugh, the port master, took her home, and he and his wife, Lil, raised her as their own child.

In 1975, Nell—the little girl from the wharf—returns to England to discover her real name and uncover the truth about who she was.

In 2005, after Nell’s death, her granddaughter Cassandra inherits a dilapidated cottage in Cornwall. Taking up Nell’s unfinished search, Cassandra travels to England with a handful of clues: the mysterious Authoress, the fairy tales, the cliff‑top cottage, and Nell’s notebook. The mystery spans three generations.

The story moves back and forth between 1913, 1975, and 2005, weaving in haunting fairy tales as the author skillfully draws you deeper into the narrative. Eliza is portrayed as a brilliant and unforgettable woman, while the male characters are far less striking. The Mountrachet family’s story is dark and unsettling, yet I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the end.

The author, Kate Morton, is a young Australian writer. This novel, rich with a Victorian atmosphere and literary elegance, is especially appealing to women readers. I rarely read mysteries, but despite its length (645 pages), I found this one deeply satisfying. If you enjoy Dickens or Thomas Hardy, I’m sure you’ll appreciate it.

 

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