THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN

After her grandmother, Nell's, death, Cassandra wants to know how Nell turned up, alone, in Australia as a child, and what a children's author had to do with it. Caroline Lee's elegant voice has an ethereal quality that emphasizes the fairy-tale motif that runs throughout this novel, but her delivery is also realistic enough to keep the story grounded. She holds listeners' attention well, guiding them through a complex story that moves among three generations as Cassandra follows the mystery's threads. By the time Cassandra finds her answers, the vivid characters will have listeners enthralled. Even though it features a tale of childhood with a fairy-tale motif, Morton's grim story is for grown-ups. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]