The Forgotten GardenThe Forgotten Garden
Score Modern
What it's about
A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied and a mystery. When Cassandra's beloved grandmother, Nell, dies, an unexpected and mysterious bequest turns Cassandra's life upside down and leads her into the secret of who Nell really was.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 81 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's an atmospheric, compulsively readable story of family secrets.
You'll love it if you liked
Homecoming
The Thirteenth Tale
RebeccaGood to know
It moves between three generations and time periods. It's long and leisurely.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #202 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #202 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #747 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1404 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
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The Blind Assassin
Fantasy in Death
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Quick answers
Is The Forgotten Garden worth reading?
Yes. It spent 81 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,404 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Forgotten Garden about?
A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied and a mystery. When Cassandra's beloved grandmother, Nell, dies, an unexpected and mysterious bequest turns Cassandra's life upside down and leads her into the secret of who Nell really was.
How long does it take to read The Forgotten Garden?
About 16 hours (648 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Forgotten Garden?
If you liked it, try Homecoming by Kate Morton, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.