The Secret Garden

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While most children’s books tend to veer towards the magical and fantastic, there are some –such as Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden – that tell truthful, sincere tales while still managing to keep its readers captivated despite the lack of fairies and boy wizards. Indeed these types of children’s stories are far and far between so it’s lovely to come back to them once in a while.

The Secret Garden tells the story of young Mary Lennox, a sour and unloved child raised in India who then moves to Yorkshire to live in her uncle’s home when her parents die. Alone and without guidance, Mary takes to roaming the manor’s gardens by herself when, one day, she comes across a hidden key to a secret garden. Attracted by its seclusion and mystery, Mary determines to tend the garden and fill it with flowers come Spring and as she works she discovers more and more mysteries about her ties to Misselthwaite: her distant and strange uncle and her sickly reclusive cousin Colin, both of whom need some magic in their lives – like the magic of a blooming garden.

Whilst it honestly doesn’t sound like much of an exciting story, the power of The Secret Garden lies in its sincerity and its tackling of very complex themes that are relevant to this day including eating disorders, mental health, and healthy parenting. By referring to natural phenomena such as fresh air, exercise, nurturing, and positive thinking as ‘Magic’, Burnett manages to turn a gloomy and serious tale into one of intrigue; making it enjoyable for younger and mature readerships.

The central dramas of the story centre on the physical and emotional transformations of both Mary and Colin who learn a great many things throughout the book and grow from sickly, selfish brats (rather reminiscent of the kids in Wuthering Heights) to empathetic and functioning people. It’s rather lovely.

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Then we have this beautiful imagery of the Yorkshire landscape that is described so well you could almost feel the roses coming to your cheeks with the brisk winds off the moor. In addition to being a real story with a wonderful sense of genuineness the world created is just as real and immersive, making for a lovely reading experience. The Secret Garden is truly a remarkable children’s book.

The Secret Garden was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett and first published as a novel in 1911 by Frederick A. Stokes (US) after a version was published as a magazine serial in 1910. It is regarded as a classic in English children’s literature and was made into a movie in 1993 starring Kate Maberly and Maggie Smith.