"A girl expecting rescue never learns to save herself."

Kate Morton has been an author on my TBR list for so long now, so it was great to have an opportunity to finally read one of her books.

This story definitely gave me 'The Secret Garden' feels, but with an edge of mystery over a wider timescale. This was also the perfect time to read this book, as my class are currently reading The Secret Garden as their core text!

I loved the structure of this novel, being split across three different generations. At first, it was a little confusing but once I was used to which characters were in each time period, it was fantastic. Especially when the links between the storylines started and everything began to come together.

The little extracts from Eliza's fairy tale book were such a great addition to this novel. It gave the story some added context but in such a creative and clever way. It also allowed you to understand the character so much more. My heart broke for her!

The characters were strange for me because there were no characters that I especially 'loved' as such. They all had their own flaws - some definitely more than others! The only characters that I really rooted for was Nell and Cassandra. Though, Christian became a quick favourite too!

My bookshelf now has a bundle of Kate Morton books ready to read, since reading this one. I'm not usually one for historical fiction, but this author is going to be a new favourite for sure!

This is an absolutely incredibly spellbinding book that I couldn't put down. The way Kate Morton presents the past and the present is unique and keeps you guessing, wishing and hoping all the way through. The characters are so relatable as are the places she described in detail like you feel you are there. The way the story is set out is magical. Superb!

On the docks in Maryborough, Australia a small girl is found abandoned. She is taken home, named Nell and becomes part of a living family but in her 21st birthday she is told a secret which changes her life.
Many years later she travels to Cornwall to try to unravel the truth about her birth and the few memories she has before Australia. But Nell dies before she can learn much about her history so her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search for the truth about Nell's birth and the mysterious Authoress.
A sweeping story taking the reader from Brisbane to Cornwall via the slums of London. This is a story of wealth and unhappiness and of poverty and deep love. Quite a Gothic take in many ways but very enjoyable with enough twists and turns to keep the reader entertained.

As with all Kate Mortons books this one was wonderful to read, Grateful story with complex plots and across multiple time lines it keeps you gripped. It's a book tontotally immerse yourself in and I guarenteed you won't want to put it down.

Brilliant. Loved this read. Emotional. Great characters story easy to follow. Will recommend once it is published/released

Kate Morton has a wonderful writing style that captures the period in which her novels are set. This multi-stranded story weaves in and out of our main characters' lives. A clever mix of historical fiction, dark fairy tale and family saga - this novel will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

I have not read any of this author’s previous novels but was intrigued when this one appeared on NetGalley UK been re-published in 2025
The story follows now who has a little girl is found abandoned on the harbour in an Australian town having apparently travelled from the UK to Australia unaccompanied. She is adopted by the harbour master who brings them up as his own child and has a happy childhood however when she reaches 18, her father tells her that he is not her father and she hears the story of her foundling status. As an adult she travels to the UK to try and find out more about her family she has some success in this but the full story is not revealed until her granddaughter years later travels again back to the UK and is able to discover the whole backstory
The novel therefore follows a lot of parallel stories picking up lives in different time periods varying from present day to the early years of the 20th century. The similarities and differences between the related women adds interest and variety to the novel.
This is a book that really grabs you right from the beginning. I was thoroughly immersed in the story and read it in one sitting only breaking for meals.
The forgotten garden of the title refers to a wall garden in a seaside Cornish stately home which is tended by one of the women in the story.
The author is skilled in both story and character development and this is a really impressive novel of great depth and emotion
I loved the way the story was revealed to us gradually through the varying timelines so that eventually you got to know the full story this author really is highly skilled in dropping the little tit bits of information that you need to bulk up your story and understanding of the characters.

The characters themselves develop as you read and their reactions to the stresses and joys in their life feels real and genuinely human.
The author has a beautiful flowing lyrical writing style that is a relaxing experience to read
The various settings in Australia and the UK particularly the seaside settings in Cornwall make me feel that this novel would be a fantastic film or TV series the place themselves seem almost additional characters as you read
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book was published in the UK on the 22nd of May 2025 by PanMcMillan
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph and my book blog bionicSarahS books.wordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

Nell is 21 and about to marry when she finds out that Hugh & Lil are not her biological parents. She had arrived in Australia on a boat from England when she was 4 years old on her own. Who had put her on the boat and what had happened to them? Who are her biological parents?

Nell does not try to find out her origins until she is in her 60s and her father Hugh has died. She goes in search of her past but does not tell her daughter or grand-daughter, so when Nell dies 30 years later and leaves a house in Cornwall to her grand-daughter Cassandra, she has lots of questions.

Loved this.
Set in present day and the 1900s a family tries to unravel the mystery of how Nell ended up on a boat travelling to Australia on her own.
A tragic and heartwarming story.

Another great read from Kate Morton
.A child is abandoned on a ship bound for Australia. Years later she, Nell begins to unravel the mystery of her family but it is Cassandra her granddaughter who finally finds the missing pieces in Cornwall
Great storytelling with characters to love and hate

Another brilliant saga from Kate Morton - they just keep on getting better and better !
3 generations telling the story of their mysterious heritage and the forgotten garden that binds them together .
Engrossing and sometimes heartbreaking -you won't want to put it down till the very last page

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Wonderfully written book starting with a little girl left on a ship to Australia from England. Who is she? Why did the lady with her not come back and who is the lady? It takes the past and present lives of different but interconnected people to finally get those answers. Twists and turns, secrets and fairy tales make this story a page turner.

I was sent a copy of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton to read and review by NetGalley. As expected by this author this was a multi-timeline, multi-character story. This made things a little confusing at times, until I managed to get a grip on who was who and in what timeline! The premise of the story is a good one, however I felt that the book was far too long, rather repetitive, and especially towards the end had too much rounding up of absolutely everything! Even though a reader likes to know what happens/happened it is still good to have some things left to the imagination without having been spoon fed. This makes it seem as though I didn’t enjoy this novel but I did up to a point. I just felt bogged down in the last quarter of the book and found reading rather laborious in the way that I just felt I had to read to finish rather than enjoy. Such a shame as it could have been such a good read. I started off thinking that this was a 4 star novel but I’m afraid I had to drop that down to 3 by the end.

What a truly captivating read! What makes it great is how beautifully Morton weaves together past and present, slowly unraveling a mystery full of family secrets and lost identities. The atmospheric settings - from Edwardian London to the Cornwall coast -really pull you into the story.
The characters are complex and relatable, especially Nell, whose journey to discover her past is both emotional and inspiring, plus the touch of dark fairy tales adds a magical, haunting layer that sets this book apart.

An engrossing and emotional story about a dysfunctional family spanning the years and the oceans. A truly addictive book, full of twists, betrayal, and underlying optimism. I was captivated from the first page.

After hearing about and being recommended Kate Morton’s books for a while, I was happy to have the opportunity to read The Forgotten Garden. This was my first experience with Morton’s writing, and it turned out to be surprisingly good.
At first, I found the time leaps and shifting perspectives a bit disorienting, as I normally avoid books with multiple points of view as they can feel messy. But in this case, the format was completely justified and worked really well. The story started off slowly, but as the layers of mystery began to unfold, I found myself completely hooked.
What initially seemed like a simple family story quickly grew into something much more intricate. The way the different stories and time periods eventually wove together was clever and interesting. I especially appreciated how all the narrative threads were tied up by the end: nothing was left unresolved.
All in all, The Forgotten Garden is a perfect summer read. After reading it, I immediately searched for some more novels by the same author (it seems there are 6 or 7 others!) and read a few reviews to decide which ones to add to my to-be-read list!
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. This is my honest review of the book. This review is now available on Goodreads.

Spellbinding is an accurate description for this book- starting with a small child, secreted on a boat and arriving alone in Australia the story follows Nell and cassandra as they try seperately to understand their family and its ties to Blackhurst Manor.
Told from multiple perspectives the story really pulls you in, from the fantastic characters to the moody cliff top settings and the peril and traumas discovered along the way.
Loved every page!

On the brink of the First World War, a young girl is discovered following an arduous sea journey from England to Australia. The only memory she retains of voyage is of a woman she refers to as the Authoress, who had vowed to care for her. Yet, the Authoress has disappeared without a trace. Fast forward to 1975 and the now elderly, Nell embarks on a journey to England to uncover the truth about her origins. Her search takes her to Cornwall and to a stunning estate called Black Manor, once owned by the Mountrachet family. What could have inspired Nell to undertake this quest after so many years? Some 30 years later upon Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, unexpectedly inherits Cliff cottage, located on the grounds of Blackhurst Manor. Among the locals, the cottage is infamous for the secrets it harbours—secrets tied to the ill-fated Mountrachet family. It is at Cliff Cottage long abandoned and nestled within its forgotten garden, that Cassandra unravels the truth about the family and the reasons behind young's abandonment so many decades ago.

A compelling and evocative tale unfolds across different eras as the enigma of Nell's life is gradually revealed. Morton masterfully unveils this narrative through the perspectives of various characters. This is an outstanding read, featuring well-developed characters and a mesmerizing setting. Gratitude is extended to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This re-released book from Kate Morton ticks all the historical fiction boxes, a family saga sweeping from London to Australia to Cornwall and back in a multi-layered, multi-generation narrative.
When her beloved grandmother Nell dies, Cassie goes off in search of a side of the family she never really knew existed, though trauma from her own past confronts her along the way. The book deals with issues of abandonment and isolation as well as grief and is very well written, capturing emotional bonds and themes.
A little long in places but overall worth the effort! Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Kate Morton, Pan Macmillan | Pan, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderfully written multi-generational historical fiction set in Cornwall and Australia, The Forgotten Garden deserves its accolade of international bestseller. Stories were interwoven well and the setting was rich and immersive. Understandably, with such a huge cast of characters, it can take a while to differentiate between them all. The book is quite long at 640+ pages and probably could’ve been edited down slightly but the payoff is worth the long read. Highly recommend!