Here's what the author says about The Forgotten Garden:
A lost child...
On the eve of the first world war, a little girl
is found abandoned on a ship to Australia.
A mysterious woman called the Authoress
had promised to look after her -
but the Authoress has disappeared without
a trace.
A terrible secret...
On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell O'Connor learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.
A mysterious inheritance...
On Nell's death, her grand-daughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost.
I did not have high expectations for this book. I sounded interesting but not hugely so. I bought it because it was on sale and it had good reviews. I was pleasantly surprised!
This boook is totally engrossing and the narrator, Caroline Lee, was outstanding. The book moves through 3 time periods and tells the stories of Eliza, Nell and Cassandra concurrently. At first I thought that switching back and forth between the 3 stories woul;d be annoying but it's not. It's integral to the tale. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thanks for another good audiobook suggestion! I just ordered it from my library system...
Posted by: sarah did it! | July 26, 2012 at 04:16 PM
I read the book and could not put it down! It's a good read.
Posted by: paula.thequilter | July 26, 2012 at 05:46 PM
I read that one a month or 2 ago and loved it. I'd love to see other stuff by the same author
Posted by: Cathy Shepherd | July 26, 2012 at 06:30 PM
This is a fabulous book!!! I got totally sucked in to the very end - LOVED it!!
Posted by: Linda Moran | July 26, 2012 at 08:55 PM
This sounds like a treat and I adore audio books. I've just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie with Flavia du Lucha and by Alan Bradley. It was a fabulous audio book. Not sure I'd would have enjoyed it as much had I read it.
Posted by: Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm | July 27, 2012 at 08:43 PM
I just put this on request at the VA Bch library.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Posted by: Carol J | July 30, 2012 at 08:37 PM