The Secret Garden  (English, Paperback, Hodgson Burnett Frances)

Mary Lennox, a troubled 10-year-old, was not fond of people and people did not like her. However, when she meets Colin, a mysterious child, this changes and she learns to enjoy the little things in life.

Summary of the Book

Mary Lennox is a spoilt and temperamental ten-year-old who never got along with people. Her wealthy parents never gave her any love and did not have time for her. When her parents die in a cholera epidemic, she is sent to London to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven. Here, she is told that she will not be given too much attention and she must learn to keep herself amused. Martha, a maidservant, narrates the story of Mrs. Craven and her walled garden to young Mary, who cannot stop thinking of the story. At night, Mary always hears the sound of a child crying, but when she speaks of it to the servants, they deny it. It is said that Mrs. Craven’s garden of roses was locked by a heartbroken Mr. Craven and the key was hidden. Mary finds this key when her friend, a robin redbreast, loosens some soil in the garden. This is the key to the secret garden where Mary finds a well-kept secret and the beginning of Mary’s journey to happiness.

About Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett was an English playwright and author. She is known for her children’s stories like Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. She started writing to help her family financially and published stories in magazines from the age of nineteen.