The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Published: 1911
When young Mary Lennox finds herself an orphan, she is sent to live with her mysterious uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in England. The Manor is as mysterious as the man, with a hundred locked rooms, secret locked gardens, and vast moors. Enticed by the idea of a secret garden, Mary explores her new home, discovering far more than she expected to find.
Thoughts:
This is a beautiful read. I was hooked right away by the witty writing and casual narration. It reads as though someone is simply telling a story in easy conversation—perfect for a children’s story.
Mary, who started her young life with servants to appease her every whim in India, was described as yellow and sickly. This gives way to a deeper theme about being outside and its benefits for children’s health. There is a contrast between Mary (and her cousin Colin) and the characters who were reared outside. The children raised with freedom to explore the surrounding moors are healthy, happy, and confident. Once Mary begins to spend her days outside, everyone at Misselthwaite Manor is thrilled to see her get “fat” and her skin and hair grow healthier. They no longer think she looks sickly and yellow, and comment instead on how beautiful and glowing she is. She even becomes nicer! Without revealing too much, the journey of Colin is even more amazing when he begins to explore the healing powers of fresh air.
Another spoiler ahead! I believe the Magic in this novel is the splendor of God’s creation and the children’s faith in it is really their growing faith in Him. Susan Sowerby (a mother of twelve children, two of whom appear at Misselthwaite) confirmed my thinking towards the end when she tells the children that Magic has many names.
One of my favorite lines in the novel is:
“Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.”
Mary, and especially Colin, struggle with constant negativity; they tend thistles. Mary quickly learns the idea of tending a rose and turns her attitude about life and people around. But Colin is determined to be wretched and die, and make those around him equally as wretched in the process. He has heard he is destined to die—because children are always listening—and believes it. His negativity makes him weak, yet when he finds joy and work it gives him life. He learns to tend his rose instead of his thistle.
The Secret Garden is a book that should be read to and by every child and adult. This is only my first experience reading such a gem, but it has firmly rooted a place among my all-time favorites.
Happy reading,
Amanda