The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

9/10

Lives changed by the healing power of beauty. Little Mary Lennox is brought up in India, a spoilt, sullen brat, whom her wealthy parents are more than happy to leave entirely in the care of their nanny. But when a cholera epidemic claims the lives of her mother and father, Mary is sent to live in her uncle’s mysterious old house on the rambling Yorkshire moors. Left to her own devices, talking only the the chambermaid Martha, she swiftly becomes even more disagreeable. But then Martha tells her a story about a secret garden hidden in the grounds, locked for ten years, ever since Mary’s aunt passed away. Her grieving uncle hid the key and forbade anyone to enter, ever again. But he hadn’t reckoned on the curiosity of the lonely little girl. Mary finds a key, and tries it in the lock of the ivy-covered door, which swings open onto a new, secret world. And though she doesn’t know it yet, Mary’s discovery will change her life for good…

The Secret Garden was first published in 1909. Its author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, was a believer in Christian Science, which provided her with great spiritual comfort after the death of her son Lionel. These beliefs colour The Secret Garden, in particular the understanding that the imagination, together with positive thinking, have a real and tangible power to transform lives. Since publication The Secret Garden has become a favourite children’s classic, and influenced numerous modern writers. Author Susan Moody wrote an unofficial sequel to The Secret Garden in 1995, published as Return to The Secret Garden and also Misselthwaite: the Sequel to the Secret Garden. It follows Mary and her cousin Colin and friend Dickon into adulthood.

Review by

10 positive reader review(s) for The Secret Garden

Frances Hodgson Burnett biography

The Secret Garden reader reviews

from Australia

This book was a heart warming classic that taught so many life lessons which I will cherish forever. A must-read for everybody.
8/10 ()

from USA

It's so interesting! This is definitely the best book I have ever read. You have to read this book. It teaches you so many life lessons.
10/10 ()

from India

It's very good book everyone must read,
8/10 ()

from USA

The Secret Garden is an amazing book that teaches us many life lessons as we read along. One major one is how one incident can change your life and you drastically which happened with Mary who from a stuck-up brat came to be a beautiful girl with a good heart.
10/10 ()

from India

I think that this book is the most interesting book I have ever read.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

The secret garden is the best book I have ever read.It is a historical book.It tell us about history.I like it very much.
9/10 ()

from UK

This book really teach us a moral lessons in life. It's really amazing!
10/10 ()

from United Arab Emirates

This novel is a great novel for kids because it makes common sense and also the vocabulary used is really good. It takes time for little readers to find a book which is as amazing as this book, it's honestly the best book I have ever read it also teaches us many lessons.
10/10 ()

from Canada

This book is a wonderful book.
10/10 ()

from UK

It is a really good book and tells u about history.
7/10 ()

from Pakistan

The Secret Garden is the best book I have ever read and it has given me many lessons.
10/10 ()

from UK

It is the best book indeed ...
10/10 ()

from UK

The Secret Garden is truly the best book I have ever read, that is why I rated it a ten out of ten. I have never felt so caught up into a book as I did when I was reading The Secret Garden. It kept me wondering what was going to happen on the next page and no matter what, it always surprised me. Although I found this book very challenging to read, I got through it and learned a very valuable lesson, do not ever stop because something is too challenging because at the end of every challenge, there is always a reward. Ever since I finished reading The Secret Garden, I feel as if I am a more caring and thoughtful person. It showed me that you should spend your time being happy with what you do have, than being sad about what you don’t. The main character of this book, Mary, did not have anything. Her parents both died when she was before the age of ten and beyond that, neither one of them had ever wanted her from the start and made that very clear to her. She had never had any friends because she was such an irrigant and rude girl, but who could blame her when she had never been shown true love. The book is all about a girl and a boy, who meet while the girl was living with her uncle, who try to figure out how to get into the secret garden. The secret garden is a garden that belonged to the uncle’s passed wife. After his wife died he had not wanted anyone to enter the garden. The kids though, were so curious of what the garden held that they could not contain themselves from figuring out a way to get in. This book is packed with love, hatred, lies, friendship, and mysteries. It holds many lessons that can be useful in the world for forever. One lesson is, never lose faith, because you never know what is held for you in the future. This is proved when Colin, who has not walked since the day that he was born, learns to walk in the secret garden. Everyone thought that he would never be able to walk and gave up on figuring out cures. They were all wrong though, all he needed was people to have faith in him. In all, The Secret Garden has taught me many valuable lessons about two young and selfish children becoming kinder from the power of nature. The lessons learned from this fascinating story will definitely stay with me throughout my entire life!
10/10 ()

from India

Nice book.
7/10 ()

9.2/10 from 15 reviews

All Frances Hodgson Burnett Reviews