Secret Garden

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Average customer rating 5 (2 comments)

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"The Secret Garden" by Frances H. Burnett is about a young girl named Mary who gets orphaned and shipped away from India to England to live with her uncle. Her uncle, Mr.Craven, lives in a large mysterious house that has been passed down from generation to generation. He lives there alone with his servants because his wife had died ten years earlier. When she died, he was left alone with lots of money. So that resulted in him traveling very much. Also something that was left when his wife died was a garden. A rose garden that was Mrs.Cravens, and with it being left there it was locked up and the key was hidden. When Mary hears of this she becomes very interested and it leads her on interesting adventures throughout the house. She meets new people along the way. I really enjoyed this book. It is in third person point of view and is said from a narrator's point of view, not Mary’s. The book described her childish ways very well, and how she perceived the world, what she thought of people, and how they described her. There is tons of character’s emotions changing. Mary starts out the book very sour and rude, and slowly her feelings about other people change throughout the book. Also, the description is amazing, especially when describing all the gardens and flowers. Also, how the author describes how Mary feels about others, and makes her tone very obvious; blunt and straight to the point. Overall, I would give this book a 9/10 because of my one and only complaint: The very beginning of the book starts out fairly quick. It jumps straight from her being in India with her parents and In about 2 chapters she’s, in England. Two chapters is not necessarily “quick” but the writing just made it feel rushed. I would recommend this book to anyone, because even though its a little “girly” I still thought it was great.

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In fourth grade while attending Catholic School in Norwich Ct, my teacher Sister Mary Ellen read my class the beloved Secret Garden book. That was back in the 1960's. I so loved it, but never did I imagine the secrets this particular book held for me in my future as a young mom and now as a grandmother. My first born child was Shannon, she was just about the biggest joy this world ever knew. I was never a big reader but when my daughter was very young I noticed she would sit sooo quiet while I had her in my lap with just about any book. My marriage was pretty caotic. Through so much of her childhood even when surrounded by fighting and the like Shannon was always tucked quietly in some corner of the house with a book. Probably a coping mechenism. Well years went on like that for it seemed like ever. The marriage ended, lifes struggles took hold of me and I learned to cope in a very different way. As a result my children lived part of their lives with my family. Shannon grew up and went off to college....she spent a semester in Europe. When she returned home I couldn't wait to lay my eyes on her. We sat talking for hours on my parents patio. It was during this time spent together Shannon thanked me for always reading to her as a child. She since that time has become a sucessful publicist for a publishing company. Last Christmas she said she only wanted one gift...the book The Secret Garden! I was so pleased. But I had trouble finding it in local stores. I managed to come across a soft cover version but it was not the one she grew up with and did not have the same picture on the front. Shannon had dressed the part so perfectly during grade school as part of a book report event. After Christmas she told me that she had found the book charm set and decided to buy it for my grandaughter Teagan, my sons little girl. I was so touched by that gesture it about took my breath away. For many secrets have been revealed to me since Sister Mary Ellen read my class this lovley classic. Even as a struggling reader myself I so loved it that I read it to Shannon. Opening up the world of books to her, it has brought such richness into her life. She has literally traveled the world...in pages and in her life and now in her career as a publicist. I am pleased she made such a beautiful choice of a gift to Teagan. The secrets and abundant gifts hidden in that locked garden have truly enriched this fourth grade student of St. Patrick School. God only knows what treasures await my Shannon and now Teagan, with a gift so precious as this old hard cover classic and beautiful charm. Thank you Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Gift that keeps on giving!