Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join me live as we discuss the first half (Chapters 1 through 27) of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton for the May Flowers Readalong. We’ll chat about early impressions, the atmosphere and characters, and all the questions that have come up in the first part of this multi-POV and multi-timeline story.
Whether you’re reading along for the first time or revisiting this novel, bring your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments from the first half of the book. But please avoid spoilers past the midway point so everyone can enjoy the discussion together.
Kate Morton credits a couple of stories to the inspiration for The Forgotten Garden: Firstly, her husband’s family migrated from Sweden to Australia early in the twentieth century, and her mother-in-law often told us stories of their sea voyage.
Secondly, Kate Morton’s grandmother’s secret was similar to Nell’s: When her Nana turned twenty-one, her father told her that she wasn’t his biological child. “I don’t know whether he anticipated the impact that this news would have on her, but for Nana it was a ground-shifting event.” Things had changed. For decades her Nana didn’t tell anyone and she conceleaed the truth about her parentage from her sisters and friends until she was in her eighties and then she decided to tell her daughters.
Kate also weaved other personal experiences into The Forgotten Garden:
She used her home location for Nell’s old timber worker’s cottage on the steep slopes of Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland. She also spent a lot of time exploring the Antique Centre where Nell and Cassandra have their stall which is a real place, on the ridge directly behind her home.
Blackhurst is also inspired by a real place called The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Heligan was a grand country estate in Cornwall, owned for many centuries by the aristocratic Tremayne family. Along with the house and farms, the Heligan estate was also home to the stunningly beautiful formal gardens. Unfortunately, these gardens were destroyed in WW1. These forgotten gardens gave her the inspiration to and title for this novel.
The Lost Gardens have been revitalized in modern times: heligan.com
If you enjoy cozy BookTube, you might also like my quiet reading vlogs, seasonal wrap-ups, and aesthetic bookish content. Feel free to subscribe & hit the 🔔 if you are looking for warm, comforting, bookish videos.
✨Connect with me in other places✨
instagram.com/rebeccasliterarywanderings
COZY READER BOOK CLUB schedule & book choices at Substack thecozyreaderbookclub.substack.com
✨Buy used books when possible✨
pangobooks.com/LITERARYWANDERINGS
thriftbooks.com/share/?code=nEQpL5h4%252f%252fRexpzUSeTnlA%253d%253d
(sign up for Thriftbooks Reading Rewards and spend $30 on your first order, and we BOTH get a FREE book reward!)
{Rebecca’s Literary Wanderings is the place to find all things bookish: book recommendations, cozy reading vlogs, book hauls, book shopping, and Little Free Library adventures. Discover vintage gems, seasonal TBR picks, and tips for fellow book lovers who enjoy exploring new stories, hidden literary treasures, and cozy reading moments.}
#BookTube #KateMorton #TheForgottenGarden #Readalong #MayFlowersReadathon #BookDiscussion #HistoricalFiction #livebooktube
🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 streamyard.com/pal/d/6415814492225536
Join me live as we discuss the first half (Chapters 1 through 27) of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton for the May Flowers Readalong. We’ll chat about early impressions, the atmosphere and characters, and all the questions that have come up in the first part of this multi-POV and multi-timeline story.
Whether you’re reading along for the first time or revisiting this novel, bring your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments from the first half of the book. But please avoid spoilers past the midway point so everyone can enjoy the discussion together.
Kate Morton credits a couple of stories to the inspiration for The Forgotten Garden: Firstly, her husband’s family migrated from Sweden to Australia early in the twentieth century, and her mother-in-law often told us stories of their sea voyage.
Secondly, Kate Morton’s grandmother’s secret was similar to Nell’s: When her Nana turned twenty-one, her father told her that she wasn’t his biological child. “I don’t know whether he anticipated the impact that this news would have on her, but for Nana it was a ground-shifting event.” Things had changed. For decades her Nana didn’t tell anyone and she conceleaed the truth about her parentage from her sisters and friends until she was in her eighties and then she decided to tell her daughters.
Kate also weaved other personal experiences into The Forgotten Garden:
She used her home location for Nell’s old timber worker’s cottage on the steep slopes of Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland. She also spent a lot of time exploring the Antique Centre where Nell and Cassandra have their stall which is a real place, on the ridge directly behind her home.
Blackhurst is also inspired by a real place called The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Heligan was a grand country estate in Cornwall, owned for many centuries by the aristocratic Tremayne family. Along with the house and farms, the Heligan estate was also home to the stunningly beautiful formal gardens. Unfortunately, these gardens were destroyed in WW1. These forgotten gardens gave her the inspiration to and title for this novel.
The Lost Gardens have been revitalized in modern times: heligan.com
If you enjoy cozy BookTube, you might also like my quiet reading vlogs, seasonal wrap-ups, and aesthetic bookish content. Feel free to subscribe & hit the 🔔 if you are looking for warm, comforting, bookish videos.
✨Connect with me in other places✨
instagram.com/rebeccasliterarywanderings
COZY READER BOOK CLUB schedule & book choices at Substack thecozyreaderbookclub.substack.com
✨Buy used books when possible✨
pangobooks.com/LITERARYWANDERINGS
thriftbooks.com/share/?code=nEQpL5h4%252f%252fRexpzUSeTnlA%253d%253d
(sign up for Thriftbooks Reading Rewards and spend $30 on your first order, and we BOTH get a FREE book reward!)
{Rebecca’s Literary Wanderings is the place to find all things bookish: book recommendations, cozy reading vlogs, book hauls, book shopping, and Little Free Library adventures. Discover vintage gems, seasonal TBR picks, and tips for fellow book lovers who enjoy exploring new stories, hidden literary treasures, and cozy reading moments.}
#BookTube #KateMorton #TheForgottenGarden #Readalong #MayFlowersReadathon #BookDiscussion #HistoricalFiction #livebooktube
🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 streamyard.com/pal/d/6415814492225536
