The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Some stories you just hear are good but you never get a chance to read (there are so many good stories in the world and only so little time to read). Fortunately, The Secret Garden turns out to be one of those wonderful books that I have found time to read.

The book starts off in India, and tells the sad tale of Mary Lennox, a child who survives a deadly cholera outbreak that kills her parents and many of her Indian servants. Right from the start, the author does not allow us to sympathize much with Mary: she is shown as spoiled, proud and used to getting her own way (she has never known any other way to live).

She is sent off to stay with her uncle, Archibald Craven, who lives in a huge, empty house in the middle of an empty moor. Things do not seem to improve much for Mary, for Craven, who is a hunchback, is consumed in his own misery over the lost of his beloved wife after the birth of their son.

But things start to change when she hears the story of a 'secret garden', closed up by Craven after the death of his wife. Mary meets a grumpy old gardener, a country boy (Dickon) who has a way with animals and a curious little robin who shows her the way to the secret garden. She decides to bring the garden back to life and asks Dickon for help.

Another mystery is introduced by the crying of a child that turns out to be Colin, Craven's son, who is bedridden, convinced he will turn into a hunchback also. By twists and turns, wonderfully told by Burnett, both Mary and Colin start to like each other and to behave much better towards each other and towards the staff of the house. And the secret garden begins to show its 'magic' as Colin is shown the garden and he resolves to recover and surprise his father.

It is not hard to see why The Secret Garden is such a popular story. It chronicles the change in attitude and behaviour of two children and the recovery of Colin. It also captures the feel of the countryside and the rebirth of a garden, yet remains a tale that is told in a simple, matter-of-fact manner that can be enjoyed by both adults and children alike. This book is a recommended read.

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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett