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The Forgotten Garden Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Forgotten Garden


The story is about an young woman who decides to uncover the secret of her grandmother's strange arrival in Australia in 1913. Cassandra is a young Australian woman who lives with her grandmother, Nell O'Connor, is a small house near Brisbane. She knows nothing about her grandmother's past because Nell didn't like to discuss the subject under any circumstances.
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Nell is 95 years old and she is on a hospital bed. She is delirious and she starts talking about playing hide-and-seek with a woman named the Authoress and about being on a boat but then she dies and she leaves her granddaughter very puzzled. Cassandra attends her grandmother's funeral and she finds out that Nell was discovered alone one a wharf and adopted by her Australian family when she was only four years old. They also tell Cassandra that the little girl was found carrying a small white suitcase containing very few objects and a book of fairy tales written by a woman named Eliza Makepeace. Her adoptive father did not tell her the truth until she was 21 years old. Nell's sisters tell Cassandra that she was extremely upset about the news, that she pushed all her family away, broke off her engagement, moved out of the family house and led a solitary life ever since.

Soon after the funeral, Cassandra opens Nell's will and she finds out that her secretive grandmother owns a cottage in England. Nell leaves all her earthly possessions to her granddaughter and Cassandra understands that she must go to England and inspect her property. She also finds out that Nell bought her cottage during her trip to England, in 1975, and that she planned to move there as soon as possible. Cassandra remembers that her mother left her in her grandmother's house during the summer on 1975 and never came back for her. She finally understands that she was the reason for her grandmother never moving to her cottage in Cornwall. She finds out that Nell started digging for her real family in England and that she wrote all her findings in a notebook.

Cassandra goes to England and she finds out that her grandmother's actual name was Ivory Walker. She also discovers that Ivory was Rose and Nathaniel Walker's daughter.

Cassandra visits her cottage. The place is very old and neglected and she decides to start the renovations as soon as possible. She walks around the cottage and she discovers a hidden garden. She starts asking around and she finds out that the cottage is located at the end of a complicated maze leading to the Blackhurst Estate. She finds out that the secret garden belonged to a young woman named Georgiana Montrachet and to her daughter Eliza Makepeace. Cassandra finds out that Georgiana, her brother, Linus, and their parents owned the Brackhurst Estate for a long period of time. The locals thell Cassandra the secret story of the Montrachet family and she is very impressed.

Georgiana runs away with a sailor and she taints the family name. Her whole family, except her brother, Linus, stops caring for her. Georgiana lives in London and she has two children, Eliza and Sammy. She lives in poverty but she refuses to contact her family.

Georgiana dies and she leaves her children alone in the care of some strangers. Eliza and Sammy take good care of each other until Sammy dies in an accident. Linus, Georgiana's brother, finds Eliza and he brings her back to the Brackhurst House. Linus is married to Adeline and they have a daughter named Rose Montrachet. Rose and Eliza become best friends. Eliza is a formidable storyteller and Rose likes her very much. Adeline hates Eliza and she decides to take Rose to New York for a while. Rose meets Nathaniel Walker and she gets married. She is unable to have children. She becomes extremely frustrated by her inability to give Nathaniel an heir and she asks Eliza to have a baby for her. Eliza and Nathaniel sleep together for a week and Eliza gets pregnant. She gives birth to Ivory and she offers the baby to her cousin Rose. Nathaniel and Rose die in a train accident and Eliza decides to move to Australia. She takes her daughter, Ivory, to London and she leaves her on a ship. She decides to go to her former caretakers, the Swindells, and take her mother's brooch from her old room. Adeline is afraid that the people will discover the fact that Ivory is not Rose's real daughter so she sends Mr.Mensell to bring Eliza and Ivory back to the estate. Mr. Mansell uses some chloroform to put Eliza to sleep and he puts her in a carriage. Eliza wakes up and she realizes that she was kidnapped and that her daughter was left alone on a ship heading for Australia. Eliza jumps off the carriage and she dies.

Cassandra finds out that Adeline buried Eliza in her secret garden, under an apple tree that Eliza planted in the memory of her and her cousin's friendship.

Cassandra decides to move into the cottage.
Best part of story, including ending: I liked the story because it kept me guessing until the last page. This is not one of those boring, predictable stories that make you sleepy. The Forgotten Garden is a very entertaining story and it contains some very exquisite descriptions of the English countryside.   

Best scene in story: My favorite scene is the one where Cassandra and her friend sleep in the cottage for the first time. The cottage in on the edge of a cliff and they can hear the ocean and smell the salty breeze. This scene made me long for a trip to the ocean.

Opinion about the main character: I like the fact that Cassandra decides to understand her family history. I also like the fact that she decides to keep the cottage.

The review of this Book prepared by Andreea Lupei a Level 5 American Goldfinch scholar

Chapter Analysis of The Forgotten Garden

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Plot & Themes

Tone of book?    -   thoughtful Time/era of story    -   1900-1920's Internal struggle/realization?    -   Yes Struggle over    -   search for family/history Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Gender    -   Female Profession/status:    -   artist Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   Australian (mate!) Unusual characteristics:    -   Super sensitive soggy jelly muffin

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   7 () Europe    -   Yes European country:    -   England/UK Asia/Pacific    -   Yes Asian country:    -   Australia Misc setting    -   fancy mansion

Writing Style

Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only    -   descript of kissing    -   impregnation/reproduction Amount of dialog    -   significantly more descript than dialog

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Kate Morton Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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