This is actually a very beautiful children’s story; have you read it? It follows the story of three children, Mary, Dickon and her cousin (I forget his name). Mary is a sickly child, who grew up in India untiil her parents die when she’s 10. She is pretty much neglected except by her nurse who babies and spoils her. When the plague comes and wipes out the English settlement, Mary is left alone, eventually discovered by British troops. She is packed off to Yorkshire, to an uncle she has never seen. The Yorkshire moors are seen as transformative for her because the bracing air of the moors, in contrast to the fevers in the East, make her grow stronger and healthier. When she discovers the garden with the young Yorkshire boy Dickon, she becomes LIKE the flowers in the garden. With a bit of tending, she “blossoms.” This further becomes apparent with her young cousin, a child who is bedridden and ignored by his sad, widowed father. Again, taking h im to the garden, restores his health and he becomes like the flowers in his mother’s long forgotten garden.

I think the strength of Burnett’s story (and she does so repeatedly in other storeis of orphans who become stronger through a tragedy. For instance: “A little Princess” and “Little Lord Fauntleroy.”

At the same time, her writing style, while very beautiful, is a bit formulaic and, I would say, for a modern audience, not very appealing. I would even argue to say that most kids would NOT read it simply because of the archaic language, the use oif Yorkshire dialect (does tha like me?) and the descriptions of a bygone age. Hope that helps.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a fine children’s story about how three children become friends after the discovery of a hidden garden within the grounds of the large English mansion where they all live. The story is particularly notable for the way it resembles traditional storytelling of the era it was written – with the exception of a chapter in the middle of the book where a spaceship crashes into the garden. Fortunately the clean up process does not take long and the spaceship is never mentioned in the book again.

Hi Memwah, I’m sure that these links will be of use to you:

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Study Guides

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/secretgarden/index.html

http://www.online-literature.com/burnett/secretgarden/

http://www.globetheatrelive.com/20032004season/secretgarden/secretgardenstudyguide.htm