"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett

288 pages

In the early 20th century, ten-year-old Mary is orphaned and sent from India, where she lived due to her father's government position, to her uncle's mansion on the moors of England. When she arrives, the servants discover that their new mistress is one the most disagreeable and spoiled children they have ever encountered. Mary, meanwhile, finds herself very much alone, living in a house "with a hundred rooms, most locked up", without anyone she knows and no other children at all. Slowly, she gets to know Martha, the young, friendly maid, and Ben Weatherspoon, the grizzled gardener with a soft spot for birds and other creatures. Through them, she learns that her uncle, Master Craven, lost his wife ten years ago when she fell from a tree as one of its limbs broke off. After the accident, Master Craven locked the door to the garden his wife died in, buried the key, and became cold and reclusive. Mary is intrigued by the "secret garden" and vows to find the key and entrance. Then she meets Dickon, Martha's friendly twelve-year-old brother, who was raised on the moor and can charm animals. She trusts him with her secret, and when she eventually finds the key and gains access to the garden, the two begin to bring it back to life. Soon after, Mary follows the sound of crying in the night and discovers her young cousin, Colin. He's her age but has been confined to his room for years because he's always ill and everyone believes that he's going to die before he grows up. No one talks about him, so Mary didn't know that he existed. Even though they are both unpleasant children, they become friends. Eventually Mary introduces him to Dickon and tells him about the garden, which begins to work its magic on both Mary and Colin, making them healthy, happy, and kind. Soon, it becomes clear that there might be hope for Colin's life after all...

I tried to read this children's classic when I was younger but didn't get through it because it creeped me out: the big, dark house, the moaning throughout the night, and the poor orphan all by herself (but the real reason is that I was a huge wuss). I'm glad I gave it a second chance! This time, I found it charming rather than disturbing. I could just picture the secret garden and the magic that the children saw in it. It reminded me of when I was a kid and had secret places of my own out in the woods. I enjoyed watching Mary's, and later Colin's, transformation. I especially loved the side characters, including Dickon, Martha, their mother, and Ben Weatherstaff. I think the pacing of the story is just right; enough time passes that the changes in the children are believable, but it doesn't drag on too long. I'm not sure that many children today would have the patience to adjust to the old-style language of this book, but I think it's a great pick for older teens or adults who want to remember being carried away with their imaginations when they were younger.