The Secret Garden

Front Cover
Courier Corporation, Aug 23, 1994 - Juvenile Fiction - 85 pages
A writer of popular stories for children and adults, Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was regarded as ' a born storyteller', with a talent for creating memorable characters whose state of affairs frequently improved as the narrative progressed. 'The Secret Garden', one of her best-loved works for young readers, is such a tale. In it, Mary Lennox, an overindulged child suddenly orphaned, is almost magically transformed into an agreeable child when she comes to live at Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy Yorkshire estate owned by her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven. With the help of Dickon, an unusual local youngster with the ability to charm nature, Mary not only manages to bring life and beauty to the secret garden - abandoned years ago when the mistress of the manor was fatally injured there - but also persuades Colin, her uncle's frail son, to lead a normal life.
 

Contents

What is that? she said pointing out
6
She was standing inside the secret garden
29
There was every joy on earth in the secret
55
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About the author (1994)

Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote for children and adults, publishing both plays and novels. She was born in Manchester, England, on November 24, 1849. Her father, who owned a furniture store, died when she was only four years old. Her mother struggled to keep the family business running while trying to raise five children. Finally, because of the failing Manchester economy, the family sold the store and immigrated to the United States. In 1865 they settled just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. Hoping to offset her family's continuing financial troubles, Burnett began to submit her stories to women's magazines. She was immediately successful. In the late 1860s her stories were published in nearly every popular American magazine. Burnett helped to support her family with income from the sale of her stories, even saving enough to finance a trip back to England, where she stayed for over a year. In 1879, Burnett published her first stories for children; two of her most popular are A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. In contrast to an extremely successful career, Burnett's personal life held many challenges. Her son Lionel was diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 15, from which he never recovered. His death inspired several stories about dead or dying children. Burnett lived her later years on Long Island, New York. She died in 1924.

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