Garden of Shadows

Tall, plain Olivia Winfield is rescued from spinsterhood by the smart and handsome Malcolm Foxworth. She thinks she has found "the one" since this is the first man to ever show interest in her. Malcolm, who is taken by her forthright manner and impressed with her intelligence, proposes after only two days' acquaintance. They marry two weeks later, and Olivia leaves her family home in New London, Connecticut and moves to the family's mansion, Foxworth Hall, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Olivia starts to discover the dark secrets about Malcolm, eventually diminishing her love for him. At a party to celebrate their wedding, Malcolm talks to and flirts with other women, neglecting Olivia.

She discovers that Malcolm is still tormented by his mother Corinne's abandonment of him at age five, and believes that it was her own plain looks and money that attracted him to her, since he mistrusts more conventionally beautiful women. While he is attracted to beauty and seems like he might consider an affair, it is obvious he lacks patience and true feeling enough for such an entanglement. Olivia feels betrayed and humiliated, but is still optimistic that things will change as they begin their life together.

When exploring the house, she discovers "The Swan Room" that belonged to Malcolm's mother, which has been kept as a shrine to her and contains a very large, ornate bed carved into the shape of a swan. When Malcolm discovers her in the room, they finally consummate their marriage, an act that could be considered more of an attack than an act of love, with Malcolm saying his mother's name the entire time. Olivia wants to scream but doesn't, trying to hide her humiliation from the servants.

Nine months later, Olivia gives birth to a boy, Malcolm Jr., who is generally referred to as "Mal." Malcolm is kind to her at times, giving her hope that things might improve between them. But for the most part, she feels unimportant and ignored. Two years later, she gives birth to a second son, Joel. Malcolm is upset, as Joel is not healthy and he wanted their second child to be a girl. He and Olivia are also told she cannot have any more children. Malcolm doesn't fully appreciate his sons, because of his disappointment at not having a daughter.

Shortly after Joel is born, Malcolm's father, Garland, comes back to Foxworth Hall with his new wife, Alicia. Olivia is disgusted to see that Alicia is only nineteen and very beautiful, and Malcolm is enraged to discover that she is pregnant, thinking that her child will inherit part of Garland's fortune. Alicia makes numerous friendly overtures to Olivia, but Olivia keeps herself distant from her. Alicia gives birth to a son, whom she names Christopher.

However, Malcolm becomes obsessed with Alicia. In one incident, Malcolm follows her to the lake and attempts to seduce her. Olivia witnesses this and is hurt. When Alicia spurns his advances, Malcolm is convinced that she is leading him on and vows to make her pay dearly. Olivia knows of Malcolm's lust towards Alicia and is humiliated and heartbroken, but she blames Alicia for making herself attractive to Malcolm.

On the night of Christopher's third birthday, Garland catches Malcolm trying to rape Alicia, gets into a violent argument with Malcolm and has a heart attack, and dies. Things are very somber in the house, although Malcolm seems to be feeling some guilt and avoids Alicia. After some time though, his obsession with her resumes. A month or so later, Alicia confesses to Olivia that Malcolm has been visiting her in her bedroom and forcing himself on her, threatening to throw her and Christopher out on the street penniless if she doesn't let him. She also tells Olivia she is pregnant with Malcolm's child. Olivia is humiliated and jealous.

Olivia decides that the only thing to do is hide Alicia away while she is pregnant; meanwhile, Olivia herself will feign being pregnant. Once Alicia secretly has the baby, Olivia will take and pass the baby off as hers. Malcolm will give Alicia Garland's inheritance, and she and Christopher will leave. Alicia reluctantly agrees and says goodbye to Christopher, and goes into hiding, living in the attic of Foxworth Hall. Olivia hires new servants, as an extra precaution to safeguard their secret. She fears that Malcolm's interest in Alicia remains, so to make Alicia less attractive to him, Olivia coerces Alicia into cutting off her long hair, which Olivia leaves on Malcolm's desk to show that she now is the one in control.

Over the months that pass, Olivia begins to think of Christopher as another son and is heartbroken when Alicia, after giving birth to a daughter, leaves suddenly and quietly, taking Christopher with her. However, Olivia is soon enraged when she discovers that Malcolm has named his new child Corinne (her name is spelled "Corrine" in the V.C. Andrews-penned original novels) after his mother and plans to oversee her upbringing. He acts like an only parent to the young Corinne, often overriding attempts by Olivia to raise her to be a proper young woman. Olivia still does what she can to be a mother to Corinne, and to her credit, loves the child as her own and takes joy in their relationship.

In the years that pass, Corinne grows up into a happy but spoiled young girl, and Malcolm continues to be emotionally distant from his sons and Olivia—he often criticizes the boys to Olivia, and is upset that his sons, particularly Joel, exhibit little interest in his business, though Mal seems to be willing to follow in his father's footsteps. Malcolm Jr. dies in a motorcycling accident that resulted in him riding off a cliff near Foxworth Hall. Later, John Amos, Olivia's cousin, is hired as the butler and also serves to incorporate religion in the household. Soon after, Joel leaves on a tour of Europe with a professional orchestra against his father's wishes and is famed in several European newspapers. Olivia is proud of Joel, but Malcolm dismisses Joel's path as frivolous and an embarrassment to the family, though beneath the criticism is worry for his son, and disappointment in Joel's choice to leave Foxworth Hall.

Unfortunately, Joel supposedly meets his end in an avalanche. His parents are informed of his death in a telegram that also revealed that his body was not recovered. Devastated over the loss of their sons, Olivia and Malcolm turn to religion and bond slightly until Olivia receives a letter from Alicia, who is dying from breast cancer. Alicia had remarried soon after leaving Foxworth Hall, but her husband died a few years later, and she became bankrupt during the Great Depression, so she and Christopher have been living in poverty. Alicia pleads with Olivia to give Christopher a home and put him through medical school. Since Olivia was kind to Christopher while Alicia was in the attic, Alicia wants Christopher to live at Foxworth Hall. Olivia convinces Malcolm to agree to this, and Christopher comes to live with them.

When they meet for the first time, Corinne and Christopher fall deeply in love. It goes unnoticed by the household, however, because they all adore Christopher. Later, John Amos begins to suspect incest, although Olivia brushes it off as his jealousy. She and Malcolm seem truly happy and content with their family for the first time. Although she expresses herself subtly, Olivia is drawn to Christopher.

After Christopher's graduation from college (and Corinne's high school graduation), Christopher receives a letter of acceptance to Harvard. Olivia is the first to see it, and is very happy and rushes to find Christopher. John Amos finds Olivia first, however, and tells her that Christopher and Corinne are making love in the Swan Room. She doesn't believe him, but takes a quick peek, which reveals Christopher and Corinne in the act of making love. Olivia is heartbroken and goes to tell Malcolm. Christopher and Corinne come and try to explain themselves to Malcolm and Olivia, but Malcolm condemns them. Christopher looks to Olivia hoping she will intervene, and is shocked and hurt to find that Olivia sides with Malcolm. He and Corinne are banished and disinherited. Malcolm has a stroke as well as a heart attack afterward, and he is forced to use a wheelchair. Olivia devotes herself to Malcolm's care. Olivia also reveals the truth to John Amos that Christopher was not just Corinne's half-uncle but also her half-brother. She also tells of the sins and events that led to it. John preys on Olivia's fear of God, urging her and Malcolm to become obsessively religious.

Malcolm is a changed man after the discovery of Chris and Corinne's scandal. Finally, he breaks and asks Olivia to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Corinne. The P.I. returns and informs Olivia that they live in Gladstone, Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) under the name of Dollanganger. Christopher dropped out of medical school and works in public relations, and Corinne is a housewife and they live a typical suburban middle class life. She is told that the two have four children: Chris, Cathy, and the twins, Cory and Carrie. All four children are perfectly healthy, bright, and beautiful, and known in their town as the Dresden Dolls. She does not tell Malcolm about the children because Olivia believes that he will want to see his grandchildren and become bewitched by the children's beauty, especially the girls’.

Years later, Corinne writes a letter to Olivia, seeking shelter and telling of Christopher's death in a car accident. Olivia is heartbroken over Christopher's death, but John Amos tells her that it was God's work. He also convinces her to allow Corinne and the children to come to Foxworth Hall, but the children must be hidden from the world forever if she wants to end the sins within Foxworth Hall. Olivia writes back to Corinne and says she may come back with the children. Olivia tells Malcolm of Corinne coming home, but again doesn't tell him about the children. When she sees them for the first time, Olivia notices the children's beauty and how much Chris and Cathy remind her of Christopher and Corinne, but she refuses to love them, as they are the "devil's spawn". The book ends with Olivia silently vowing to keep her heart hardened against the children, and to hide them from the world forever, yet feeling just as imprisoned as them.