The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Family secrets come to light in this gripping drama of a story. A little girl is left on a wharf in 1913 and takes the ship to Australia. The little girl grows up and on her 21st birthday, Nell is told the truth, her parents are not her real parents. It sets her world into a tizzy. But never really finds out the truth and so passes it onto her granddaughter Cassandra. It may just be the adventure she needs to take her mind off her grandmother's death.

Ms. Morton does it yet again! Weaving all the different view points was done very well. The time periods really didn't effect a whole lot for the most part but I enjoyed reliving it all. Made all the easier thanks to the little notations at the beginning of most if not all chapters. I was impressed with the range of characters presented and how you truly got to know the ins and outs of each one. Whether it was through the characters' own words or in letters/ journals etc.. Ms. Morton has a way with stories that completely captivate and envelop inside that world. The situations pretain and all is revealed. At times, I found it a little predictable but the twists that came about were still surprises for the reason behind it all.

I loved Cassandra. She truly wanted to help her deceased grandmother. There was a whole world and a side to the story that Nell never got to discover. Cassandra decided to finish it up as she knew it was what was needed to be done. Even her past is shown in the book which I thought was so great. There was a lot of healing that needed to happen. The journey that Cassandra took was the best thing for her.

The stories presented in the story written by the Authoress were fantastic. I could see how they could grab your attention and keep it. I loved the garden aspect and I loved how it was linked to The Secret Garden. This is one book that I didn't want to see the end of though I had figured out some of it. The story swept me away to times I have little knowledge about but couldn't get enough of. I eagerly await Ms. Morton's next novel!

Kate Morton/ Adult Fiction/ Families/ Secrets/Fairy Tales/Garden/552 pages/ 5 out of 5

I wish it hadn't taken me so long to review but I wanted to make sure I didn't reveal anything important. The friendships in here are fantastic between people of the same age, different ages, and different sexes. Now onto my first book of the everything Austen challange II.

FTC: This book is part of my personal collection.

The Secret Thief by Judith Jaeger

Connie doesn’t want to help her grandmother clean up the house since it is sold. That means giving up her summer before she starts to teach. Her mother pushes her into it, so Connie finally gives in. Her grandmother always is rough with her so she is not sure she wants to go out there. Yet while cleaning and going through boxes, she finds things she never knew about. She begins to question the things her mother told her and wonders what really is the truth.

Ms. Jaeger has such a way with words. I could feel into Connie’s heart. The small town was a hoot and it came alive in this story. Secrets are often hid back past things. I was pleased not only with how things came out but the ending of this story.

Connie does not mind using the five-finger discount but then she wonders if she is really doing her self any good. The things she has been told while growing up suddenly sound false. But she has to figure out what is the truth and what isn’t. It’s going to be tough but she might just finally see the world for what it really is. The grandmother keeps things close to her heart to make sure things don’t repeat themselves. Connie’s mother is very controlling and must keep things in order. She is hurt by the decisions she made in life and now feels better once she is able to control things.

This is a book full of ups and down but when you close it, you’ll just feel like everything was pretty much figured out. There aren’t many lingering questions but that is a nice change. The author truly lets you into the mind of Connie so you can see where she is coming from.

Judith Jaeger/ New Author/ 194 pages/ Family/ Secrets/ 4 out of 5

Well off to read the author of the month. :) Then another one from the stacks. :)

A Nail Through The Heart By Timothy Hallinan

Poke Rafferty is trying to start a new life for himself. He has fallen in love with Rose as well as a girl from the street named Miaow. Miaow has a friend who goes by the name Superman and Poke wants to help him as well. It all seems to go awry when he is contacted by Clarissa Ulrich to find her uncle Claus. Because another woman wants to find the man who is haunting her life and things can’t seem to get better even though Poke is trying to adopt Miaow. He has way too much going on that he has a difficult time handling it all. He needs to step back and look at the big picture in order to tackle anything.

Mr. Hallinan is an expressive man who knows how to get you to feel. Some of the things are horrifying to believe that it really happened. Now mind you it gets graphic but sometimes too much even for me. He did really well with such a delicate topic with pornography and children. It is not a subject that is easy to take by any means. Yet you are left to wonder who really are the criminals and who are the good guys.

Poke Rafferty is still learning to get use to where he is at. Rose is trying to get him to understand that life is not as simple as he would like it to be. The whole goal is to build a family but there are a lot of secrets and trust is not shared. Poke has to truly figure out what is important before he loses the one thing he wants to attain for his life. Miaow is a trusting girl who has been through a lot of hardships but finds solace in Poke and Rose. Superman is there too but he is a child formed by hardships even worse than what Miaow even can being to understand. It’s a struggle to get through the past but it will only be good for all involved.

This is one emotional book to be read in short amounts. Once you find out what is really going on, it will break your heart. It will also open your eyes to keep a tight rein on your children for as long as you can to keep them safe from this stuff. It is only cruelty that is expressed in a harmful way and Poke does his best to find how to gain trust in the people close to him. It is a hard lesson learned by all and detrimental if it is not learned. I found this book compelling and informative. Though a bit too descriptive, if it had gone any lighter it would not have had an impact on me at all. Please pick it up and give it a try. You will not regret it.

328 pages/ New Author/Fiction/ 4 out of 5

I finished this last night and was too tired to post. :) I finished Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steel and found I rather liked it. :) Now off to read Journey to Forever by Carol Steward. :) Have a good day!