Garden of Lies

Eileen Goudge's Garden of Lies in my opinion is no light read and certainly no escape. It is a riveting, heartbreaking and thought provoking page turner. It does have some incredible and improbable turn of events, but hey, that's what makes a book a great read, is it not? I cried, blushed, cringed, ached, and dreamed with the heroes and the heroines of the novel. While appreciating the delicious and exquisite love that develops between Rachel and Brian, it was a torture for me to read through it and impossible to enjoy. You will have to read it to find out why. What a book! Filled with all implications of love of every kind. Love stolen, love taken, love given, love lost, love unfullfiled, love unrequited... it still breaks my heart. Ultimately, we get a glimpse of an answer to all the "whys?" in Rose's reflection: "And now I understand. How the winds of change can blow. How events can be bigger, stronger than we are. And even how you can love more than one person, each love with its own subtle shadings, one maybe stronger but now necessarily canceling out the other." It is not about what one deserves. None of us deserve more nor less than any other. Perhaps we deserve nothing. Love is a gift. Some receive, some do not, by forces greater than us. Only if it were true that it is better to give than receive. Thanks to Eileen for your insight into love and life.

Although I find it extremely implausible that two women switched at birth would somehow miraculously find and fall in love with the same man a half world apart, that is the wonderful thing about fiction you get lost in...it's like a soap opera, you never admit to watching one, but you know you're addicted! It's the Danielle Steele phenomenon. This story is just perfect; Rose and Rachel are knowingly switched at birth after a tragedy in the hospital where they are born. Rose grows up in a poor, strict, catholic home and is in love with her neighboring boyfriend Brian. Rachel is raised in opulence, becomes a doctor and after finding out she can never have children, volunteers to serve in Vietnam. There she meets Brian and they fall in love. The scene where Rose finds out that Brian and Rachel have gotten married just breaks my heart, and anyone who has ever been dumped out of the blue will have tears in their eyes, I promise. Years later, Brian and Rose come face to face and it is evident that Rose has never gotten over him. I got this book when it was originally published 10 years ago and have read it several times.

Having only read one other book by Eileen Goudge (TRAIL OF SECRETS), she is in top form with this one. GARDEN OF LIES is one of the best books I've ever read. Although there are now many fiction novels about babies switched at birth, GARDEN OF LIES does not constantly dwell on that idea, but instead recounts their path in life from the time they were switched at birth into womanhood. It was wonderful to read how the girls grow up starting in the 1950's and continuing into the 1980's. Both Rachel and Rose had strength and tenacity, managing to withstand the horrors of war, lost love, deception and betrayal. This is a book not to be missed. Even 10 years later, it's a timeless piece of fiction which goes great with a cup of tea and a warm blanket on the sofa! I'm now reading Ms. Goudge's long-awaited sequel, THORNS OF TRUTH, and anxious to read what happens with Rachel and Rose's children.

I've read all of Ms. Goudge's novels, but my favorite, and the first I read, was Garden of Lies. The plot and characters keep you reading nonstop until you reach the last page! For weeks after I finished reading, I missed the characters and wanted desperately to know how they were doing. Reading Eileen Goudge's novels is like being involved in another life. Rachel and Rose bacame part of me and I rallied for them both. Garden of Lies is a touching and life-altering novel that will change the way you see life and other literature forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was rich and deep. I love the way Rachel's and Rose's lives became very interwined. This book was very entertaining. The story was so good that I have to give it a 10, even though Ms. Goudge could have told the same story, same exact plot on half the amount of pages. She does go into too much descriptive detail, and sometimes that detail becomes boring (while the story itself remains entertaining). I just think she goes overboard with the descriptive detail. (Since I have read all her novels, I do know about her descriptive detail). I can not wait until April 1, because I will be the first one in line to get the sequel to this book, 'Thorns of Truth'. I am sure it will be as fascinating as 'Garden of Lies'. Thank you, Ms. Goudge, for presenting your rich talent to us.