The Forgotten Garden: A Novel (paperback)

This novel is the story of three main characters, Eliza, Nell, and Cassandra(Cassie)and their inter-generational relationships. It is a mystery of heritage. There is often a "Cassie" in wasp melodramas even if the name is rarely given in real life. There are no Melissas, Susans, or Jennifers here. About 2/3rds of the way through the novel I anticipated the ending. Who were Nell's parents? Why was she left alone on a ship from England bound for Australia. Because the author created a main character who chose to emigrate to Australia, I knew the author must be Australian without looking up her bio. While most Europeans of the era were intent on emigrating to America, this one was only interested in Australia. Yes she created a plausible reason. Eliza heard talk of a town in Australia to which her maid's brother and his family had emigrated with success. Still given the plot line and the fact that Nathaniel was from the U.S. and had extended family there, the U.S. would have been a more logical destination. This book is a step up from the bodice riper ladies novels. In fact there is very little sex in the novel. Still it is ladies clap trap melodrama nonetheless. There are extensive descriptions of Nell's house in Paddington and how it was situated on the street. Though she is good at description, this is where a diagram would have been helpful. Even with her pages and pages of description of the relationship of the cliff cottage and Blackhurst, I still could not get a mental picture. The cottage was only accessible from the main house through a lengthy and confusing maze garden. The Cliff cottage with its walled garden and secret gates and doors remained a secret for me. It would have been far better to have a diagram of the estate with the Cliff cottage and the maze garden. A diagram of the walled cottage and its gardens would have been most helpful as well.

This author can turn a phrase. If she can get away from these fairy tales for adults then maybe she could write a good novel. She should spend a year in the U.S. especially in NYC where she could glean the spiciness of ethnicity. This story misses out on all the richness we have when the novel includes ethnicity. The Secret Garden can't hold a candle to Cutting For Stone or The Kite Runner. There are too many freckled red heads, too many sandy haired adults, and too many fair skinned brunettes. The characters are multi-dimensional so I know this author has it in her to write something other than ladies melodrama. Further, she weaves stories within her story. She includes Eliza's published fairy tales in appropriate places in the story. It was a clever and effective literary technique. She alternated in her story between three time periods, Eliza's story, Nell's story and Cassandra's story. So there are flashbacks. This is hard enough to do with two time periods, but this author has conquered using three. I had no trouble reading or finishing this, because I wanted the answer to the mystery. It's just that after reading it I felt "So What!" It is no big deal. Come to the U.S. Kate and experience the spiciness of life that exists outside the English wasp heritage. You might find a worthwhile subject to write about.