The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett-266 pages

This is the story of Mary Lennox, who as a young girl lives in India with her neglectful, selfish parents. An Ayah (Indian servant) attends to Mary's every need and Mary is kept out of sight of her parents and their friends. When tragedy strikes and her parents and Ayah all die of Cholera, Mary is sent to England to live at her reclusive uncle's (Mr. Archibald Craven) estate, Misslethwaite Manor. It is here that Mary finds a secret locked garden and slowly transforms from a bratty, selfish child to a mature young woman. She befriends Martha (her maid, sort of), Dickon, Ben Weatherstaff, a robin, and Colin Craven (her cousin). Colin also makes a miraculous change from a spoiled hypochondriac who lays in bed all day feeling sorry for himself to someone who is full of energy and runs around the secret garden. One thing in the book that I enjoyed that wasn't in any movie adaptation that I've seen is Dickon's and Martha's mom, Susan Sowerby. She plays a big role in helping Colin and Mary get well in the book and I enjoyed her character. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I have enjoyed 2 out of the 3 movie adaptations that I've seen, also.