The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

★★★★½

I clearly remember coming across this book as a child, and knowing that other people thought it was a book worth reading. Somehow, though, a book about "a secret garden" just didn't interest me, and so I didn't read it.

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. But now, as an adult, I can see why this book is so popular.

Basically, the story is about a 10-year-old girl named Mary Lennox who is orphaned and sent to live with her estranged uncle. This uncle owns a huge estate which hides a few secrets, including a garden. From the beginning, the circumstances and character of Mary Lennox made for very compelling reading. I was quickly drawn in and wanted to know what happens to her. New characters are introduced well into the first half of the book, and each character is even more interesting than the last. As Mary gets used to her new home and new surroundings, she learns much about herself, about the people around her, and about the joy of fostering growth in a living thing.

The story itself is well-suited for elementary school-aged children, but it may be a challenge for younger readers, partly because of the author's occasional use of "broad Yorkshire". Dialogue written in this dialect (which, for example, uses "tha" for "thou / you") may be difficult for young readers to parse. Isabelle tried to read this book (she received it as a gift), and though she made progress, I got the feeling she was glossing over parts. We decided to read the book together - me reading aloud to her - and we both enjoyed it immensely.

We actually read a really fantastic illustrated edition. The color illustrations were soft, with muted colors, but they did bring all the characters to life. There was a picture every 1-2 pages or so. Every now and then we did get a two-page spread of just text, but that was more than made up for by the occasional two-page spread of illustration. The book was truly a delight to read.

So, with all the high praise, why not 5 stars? I have to admit, towards the end, all the talk about "the magic of things growing" just got kind of long-winded.