“The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911) tells the story of young Mary Lennox, a ten-year old girl who, at first, is frail, rude, tired, and bored. But Mary transforms into a healthy, vibrant, and kind-hearted young lady and in so doing transforms not only the people around her, but the very earth itself. The cause of this miraculous change is the power of her own thoughts.
Mary Lennox lives in India, the child of parents who do not have the time or interest to care for her. She is instead raised by Indian servants who care for her continuously, even dressing and bathing her. Ignored by her parents and treated as a master by her servants, Mary develops a warped view of the world, even slapping her servants in the face if it suited her. But everything changes when her parents suddenly die.
Soon Mary finds herself in Yorkshire, England in the grand but dilapidated Misselthwaite Manor, the home of her Uncle, the melancholy Mr. Archibald Craven. Mary is tended to by young servant girl Martha, a kind but sturdy Yorkshire girl not at all like the Indian servants Mary was accustomed to. Martha expects Mary to dress and bath herself. Each day Mary is left alone to explore the gardens surrounding the house, all the gardens but one—that is—and at first, in the wintertime, Mary hates it. She hates the cold, she hates the wind, and she hates the grayness.
Over time Mary begins to change. Not being waited on hand and foot, she learns self-reliance. Being left alone, she learns to value people. She befriends the grumpy old gardener Ben Weatherstaff, Martha’s young brother and animal charmer Dickon, and meets a plucky little robin that lives in the walled garden she’s been told to stay out of. Mary’s mind becomes inquisitive for the first time, and wonders what could be in the garden. With the help of her little robin friend, Mary finds the key and goes in.
Coolly received at first when published in 1911, the novel has steadily grown in popularity over the years to become a classic and is loved by generations of young women the world over. But The Secret Garden is appealing to more than just young people, as the power of positive thinking is just as important to adults as it is children. Perhaps the author herself says it best: “One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts—just mere thoughts—are as powerful as electric batteries—as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison.”
The Secret Garden is available in many formats. A beautifully Illustrated hardcover edition is available from Candlewick Press. Published in 2007, it is illustrated by Inga Moore and is the perfect way to share this timeless story with children. Another great way to experience The Secret Garden with the whole family is through audio book format. A free audio book of The Secret Garden is available through www.librivox.org and is expertly and lovingly read by Kara Shallenberg.
Mary Lennox lives in India, the child of parents who do not have the time or interest to care for her. She is instead raised by Indian servants who care for her continuously, even dressing and bathing her. Ignored by her parents and treated as a master by her servants, Mary develops a warped view of the world, even slapping her servants in the face if it suited her. But everything changes when her parents suddenly die.
Soon Mary finds herself in Yorkshire, England in the grand but dilapidated Misselthwaite Manor, the home of her Uncle, the melancholy Mr. Archibald Craven. Mary is tended to by young servant girl Martha, a kind but sturdy Yorkshire girl not at all like the Indian servants Mary was accustomed to. Martha expects Mary to dress and bath herself. Each day Mary is left alone to explore the gardens surrounding the house, all the gardens but one—that is—and at first, in the wintertime, Mary hates it. She hates the cold, she hates the wind, and she hates the grayness.
Over time Mary begins to change. Not being waited on hand and foot, she learns self-reliance. Being left alone, she learns to value people. She befriends the grumpy old gardener Ben Weatherstaff, Martha’s young brother and animal charmer Dickon, and meets a plucky little robin that lives in the walled garden she’s been told to stay out of. Mary’s mind becomes inquisitive for the first time, and wonders what could be in the garden. With the help of her little robin friend, Mary finds the key and goes in.
Coolly received at first when published in 1911, the novel has steadily grown in popularity over the years to become a classic and is loved by generations of young women the world over. But The Secret Garden is appealing to more than just young people, as the power of positive thinking is just as important to adults as it is children. Perhaps the author herself says it best: “One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts—just mere thoughts—are as powerful as electric batteries—as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison.”
The Secret Garden is available in many formats. A beautifully Illustrated hardcover edition is available from Candlewick Press. Published in 2007, it is illustrated by Inga Moore and is the perfect way to share this timeless story with children. Another great way to experience The Secret Garden with the whole family is through audio book format. A free audio book of The Secret Garden is available through www.librivox.org and is expertly and lovingly read by Kara Shallenberg.
