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Book Review By fran laniado
Garden of Lies by Eileen Goudge

Sylvie is the young wife of a wealthy man. She is about to give birth, and she prays that the baby is her husband's, and not a result of her passionate affair with the gardener, Nikos. She goes into labor unexpectedly one day, and is taken to a different hospital than planned, when her husband is out of town. Unfortunately the baby looks exactly like Nikos, and nothing like her husband.

Sylvie is not sure what to do. When the hospital burns down, she is desperate to save her baby. But when she gets to the nursery all the babies have been taken except for one. She takes that baby and leaves. When she learns that the mother of that baby died in the fire, she decides to switch babies, and take the child that resembles her husband more.

The two girls grow up. Rachel is raised in a world of wealth and priveledge and dreams of being a doctor. Rose was raised in poverty by an uncaring grandmother. When the Vietnam war starts, Rachel decides to work in a hospital there. Meanwhile, Rose's fiancé, Brian is drafted. When she saves his life, Rachel and Brian fall in love, and for the first time, Rachel and Rose meet as rivals, who have no idea of the secret that ties them together as sisters.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1960's-1970's
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 ()
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Southeast Asia

Writing Style
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only - descript of kissing - impregnation/reproduction
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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