8 Reasons I’ve Reread the The Secret Garden Countless Times
The Reasons I’ve Reread series gives us an opportunity to share some of our most treasured books (that we’ve reread the most astounding number of times!) along with all the reasons we love them. Our first installment features The Secret Garden.
From the moment I first read the book as a young girl, I was totally enchanted by The Secret Garden. So much so, that throughout my life, I have been inspired to open to its pages over and over again. I’ve even sought out every musical or film adaptation ever created. Here are eight reasons this beautiful story remains one of my favorite rereads of all time.
1. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.
Hooray for a real heroine, who is flawed and complex, and moves forward in her life with curiosity, grit, and determination. This is a girl who, despite being ignored and mistreated through most of her childhood, finds a way to trust others and let them in. Then, with a little help from some friends, she transforms a garden, herself, and those around her.
1. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.
Hooray for a real heroine, who is flawed and complex, and moves forward in her life with curiosity, grit, and determination. This is a girl who, despite being ignored and mistreated through most of her childhood, finds a way to trust others and let them in. Then, with a little help from some friends, she transforms a garden, herself, and those around her.
2. The “secret”.
There’s a secret door. A secret key. You even have to have a bird show you where it is. This walled garden is one of the coolest hiding spots a person could find. There’s nothing I wanted more as a kid than to shimmy the door open to my own secret spot all my own. I still want that.
3. The spook factor.
With wind howling through the moors, a giant estate to get lost in, mysterious children crying behind closed doors, and, don’t forget, the hunchbacked Mr. Craven, it’s not all flower blooms and tea parties in The Secret Garden. We all need a little grit and grey with our British lit.
4. It’s all about Dickon.
Face it, everybody wants a best friend like Dickon. He loves animals. He’s nice when he doesn’t have to be. He even plays the wooden pipe and conjures creatures like some kind of animal charmer. If only we could all muck around in the dirt with rosy-cheeked Dickon, we’d be living the good life.
5. Colin and Mary’s friendship.
I know, I know, Colin is no Dickon. He’s entitled and whiny and throws a lot of tantrums. But he’s also been dealt a blow, being cooped up in bed, and his physical abilities have been totally underestimated. It’s beautiful to witness Mary and Colin lifting one another out of their loneliness and coming together to help one another grow.
6. The magic.
There’s a lot of magic talk in the book but it’s pretty sneaky magic. It’s really all about the wonder of the natural world and our belief and faith in another; that’s what allows seemingly magical things to happen. Well played, Frances Hodgson Burnett, well played.
7. The garden itself.
Beyond the magic and wonder of it all, the physical garden is pretty spectacular. With thousands of roses, the tall trees, the hanging ivy, and more, I have always loved the feeling, as a reader, that there is absolutely no place as beautiful as this in the great outdoors.
8. Its message of hope.
Author Frances Hodgson Burnett has been quoted as saying “As long as you have a garden, you have a future, and as long as you have a future, you are alive.” The book’s themes of growth and healing has always made me feel optimistic about the future, no matter what might be happening in my life or in the world.
Have you or your little ones read The Secret Garden yet?