I was first recommended this book at work, and then Ashley Clements mentioned it as a book she would like to see made into a movie. I finally looked up the synopsis and finally bought it. I'm so glad I did! This book is a gem! A real treat for those who love and appreciate the layers and significance of stories. The mystery of Nell's identity and the quest her grandaughter goes on to discover it is also a mystery involving beautiful and haunting fairytales. With the shocking revalation that she was adopted, Nell ventures to the past and is determined to learn who her parents are. Her quest is cut short by cruel fate, and her grandaughter Cassandra is left to pick up the pieces and put them together. The book switches points of view and goes back in time as the reader slowly discovers the answers to Nell's questions and Cassandra's own personal riddle. Alongside Nell's quest and Cassandra's journey are bits and pieces of the past, the story of Eliza Makepeace and the strange Mountrachet family. As each layer unfolds, the fairytales themselves become very important to the novel's plot, and the mystery of Nell's past.
I haven't read a layered book like this in a long time. In the style of Jane Eyre, or a Jane Austen novel, this story is similar to the Secret Garden but more complicated with flashbacks, powerful reveals and personal histories that Cassandra, Nell, Chrisitian and Eliza Makepeace all experience. It is a powerful tale told in a beautiful and well thought out manner. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fairytales, mysteries, The Secret Garden and Life of Pi. With its characters, fairytales and history, this story weaves its own magic.
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