What is the Secret Behind the Vines?

Hello readers of my daughter's blog! I am Fairday's mother, Pru. When she and Lizzy told me that the theme this week was going to be gardens, I just had to be a part of it. I asked her if I could review one of my very favorite stories and she agreed. So, here is my review of the wonderful book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  ~ Pru Morrow

Mary Lennox has been raised in wealth, catered to by servants, and completely ignored by both her mother and father. When a cholera outbreak kills her parents, she is sent to live with her distant uncle, Archibald Craven. Having been given everything she wants, but no love, Mary is spoiled and obstinate. She hates the manor tucked way out in the Yorkshire moors and is bitter towards the people living in the house, including her strange cousin, Colin, who sits miserably in a wheelchair that he doesn't need. She is told to stay out of the way and keep quiet. The scene seems grim until she befriends a maidservant named Martha Sowerby, who tells her about the late Mrs. Craven and her private rose garden. She explains that Mrs. Craven died of an untimely accident and that Mr. Craven locked the garden up and buried the key. Mary is intrigued. Called out by the song of a robin and a crafty boy named Dickon, she sets out to uncover a lost paradise. Will Mary find Mrs. Craven's secret rose garden? Will the dismal spirit that has hung over the Craven household for so long finally dissipate into the fog?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a very special story for me. My mother read me this book when I was just about Fairday's age and it has never left my heart. Watching as Mary transforms from an unhappy, sour child into a rosy-cheeked, young girl full of hopes and dreams fills me with tears every time I read the story. I would recommend this book to readers ages 8 and up. I think you will enjoy following along with Mary as her world is changed forever by the magic and mystery of a lady's secret and her beautiful, hidden garden.

Has anyone else read The Secret Garden or any other books by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

Happy reading! ~ P

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED