The Secret Garden

 Synopsis

When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds its full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one, day with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all-- a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

Loved

• The simplicity. This story truly is magic in that one austere and cranky little orphan can change the lives of a heartbroken family. The magic of this story is in the simplicity: finding joy and wonder in nature, friendship, and connection. This was so refreshing because our world now is so fast-paced and entertainment-driven that we barely appreciate the simple joys of laughing, interacting with animals, and feeling the wonder of watching flowers grow.

• Mary and Colin. At the beginning of the story we really dislike Mary and Colin because they are self-centered, spoiled, and entitled. But we quickly learn to love them as they discover the world outside themselves and connect with nature, friends and animals. The best part about this transformation is that it happens among themselves- one of my favorite moments of the book is when Mary uses her own temper to cure Colin of his tantrum :) How amazing to watch children teach children.

• Dickon. What a cutie- Dickon is just the best. He is also so refreshing with his happy, hopeful, laid-back personality and perspective versus Colin and Mary's angsty and spoiled attitudes. It's so fun to see how he enchants Mary and helps her change, which in turn rubs off on Colin and helps him completely transform and come to life.

• The Yorkshire accent! I remember as a kid reading this book, the Yorkshire accent was so confusing and I couldn't understand it. But listening to it as an adult, I loved it! The narrator performed the accent so well and it really added so much charm to the story.

Didn't Love

• I do wish we had more resolution at the end- it felt like it ended a little abruptly!

Content

• Language: 
• None.

• Sexual content: 
• None.

• Violence
• None.


• Other themes:
• Theme of death: Colin has always thought he would die young. His mother died in childbirth.
• Racism: There are some racist ideas as Mary and Colin talk about people in India. Since this was written in 1911, it matches the views of that time period, which can be uncomfortable and disturbing.

Overall Thoughts

The Secret Garden and I have always had a rocky relationship. In fourth grade we were required to read this, and I remember hating it so I didn't finish it. I had to sit out in the hall while everyone else got to watch the movie in the class, and I've never cared for the book since then, and always had a bad taste in my mouth about it. But recently I realized that this story is right up my alley- I looooove children's classics, so why wouldn't I like this? I decided to give it another chance. And . . . I loved it!! I felt enchanted by the simplicity, charm and sweetness of the story. What a powerful reminder to all of us: finding joy and wonder in the simple things in life is what brings us to life, renews our perspective, and ignites hope. I'm glad I gave this a second chance, and I think everyone should read this to be reminded of what the roots of life are really about.