The Forgotten Garden

Author: Kate Morton
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3

Summary
Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything 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--the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century--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.

Review
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I appreciated what the author was trying to accomplish--but it feels like she took on too much. Between all the different female voices, the jumping backwards and forwards in time, the inherent mystery, the mental instability of a number of characters, a budding romance, and the actual fairy tales...it became a bit overwhelming. In addition, none of the characters are very sympathetic--which makes the novel's length a bit burdensome.

I did appreciate the author's plot twists at the end (despite their predicatability), and the fact that there was nothing vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate in her story.

Notes
If you read this one, be sure to make a list of who is who in the family tree. It will prevent a lot of confusion as you are reading!