Garden of Shadows
V. C. Andrews
 Garden of Shadows starts with a tall, plain Olivia being 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 due to her height and plain appearance. They soon get married and Olivia leaves her family home in New Haven, Connecticut and moves to Malcolm's father Garland's manor, Foxworth Hall, in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Olivia starts to discover the dark secrets about Malcolm that start to kill her love for him. She discovers he is still tormented by his beautiful mother Corinne’s abandonment of him when he was five and that it was Olivia's plain looks and money that attracted him to her due to his mistrust of beautiful women. At a party to celebrate their wedding, Malcolm talks to and flirts with all the beautiful socialites, ignoring Olivia. While he is attracted to beauty and seems like he might consider an affair with one of them, it is obvious he does not trust them enough to marry and have a family with them. Olivia feels betrayed and humiliated, but hopes things will change as they begin their life together. When exploring the house, she discovers "The Swan Room," a room that belonged to Malcolm’s mother and has been kept as a shrine to her. In the room is a very large, ornate bed carved into the shape of a swan. When Malcolm discovers her in the room, they finally consummate the marriage, an act that could be considered more of an attack than an act of love; Malcolm saying his mother's name the entire time. Olivia wants to scream but doesn't, trying to save their humiliation from the servants. Nine months later, Olivia gives birth to a boy, Malcolm Jr., who is generally referred to as “Mal” so it would be easier to distinguish between him and his father. 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 he wanted their second child to be a girl and that Joel is not healthy. He and Olivia are also told she cannot have any more children. Malcolm ignores the boys and Olivia because he can’t have a perfect daughter to raise to love him and stay with him always. 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 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, has a heart attack, and dies in the fight that follows. Things are very somber in the house, although Malcolm seems to be feeling some guilt and avoids Alicia. After some time though, he begins to show interest in her again. 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, who was still desperate to have a daughter. Olivia is humiliated and jealous. This is the moment when she hardens herself and begins to slowly transform into the vicious grandmother from Flowers in the Attic. Olivia decides that the only thing to do is hide Alicia up in the attic while she is pregnant; meanwhile Olivia will feign being pregnant as well. 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 in the attic. Olivia has the servants removed so no one has a clue what is going on, and hires new ones. While locked away in the attic, Malcolm continues to see Alicia and takes advantage of her loneliness. So, to make her less attractive to Malcolm, Olivia coerces Alicia into cutting off her beautiful chestnut 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 quietly, taking Christopher with her. However, Olivia is soon enraged when she discovers Malcolm has named his new child Corinne after his mother and plans for her nursery to be next to his study. 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 takes joy in their relationship. In the years that pass, Corinne grows up into a beautiful 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 they have no interest in his business. 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 for rebelling against his father, but Malcolm is indifferent and acts like he doesn't care. Unfortunately, Joel 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 having been living in poverty. Alicia is pleading with Olivia to give Christopher a home and put him through medical school. Only because of how kind Olivia was 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. Everyone is blinded from this love, however, as they all adore Christopher. But later, John Amos begins to suspect incest, although Olivia brushes it off as jealousy. She and Malcolm seem truly happy and content with their family. 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. She hears voices in the swan room and takes a quick peek that reveals Christopher and Corinne making love. They are banished and disinherited. Malcolm has a stroke as well as a heart attack afterward, and he is forced to use a wheelchair. Olivia comes to devote herself to Malcolm's health. Olivia also reveals the truth to John Amos that Christopher was not only Corinne's half-uncle but also her half-brother. She also tells of the sins and events that led to it. 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, PA under the name of Dollanganger. Christopher had dropped out of medical school and works in public relations, and Corinne is a housewife. She is also told of their four children: Chris, Cathy, and the twins, Cory and Carrie. All four children are perfectly healthy, bright, and beautiful, and well-known to 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 be 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 by a car accident. Olivia is heartbroken of 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 is welcome back. 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 is attracted to 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.