Tiny Treasury

I’m a garden nut. I’ve always loved the idea of digging around in the dirt and making something pretty out of it. Gardening is, in that way, wildly satisfying.

As a kid, my other passion was reading. I was a reader. Morning, afternoon, evening. Under the covers, at the dinner table (despite protestations from Mom), in the living room, on the bus. It was so easy to get carried away by the wonder of words, to be transported to a different time and different place.

I think, perhaps, that the combination of those things is why I loved - no love - Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. It is, simply stated, one of the best children’s books ever.

The book centers around Mary, who after being orphaned (a theme in those Burnett books), is sent to England to live with relatives. Mary finds out about a walled garden, which is kept secret, due to a family tragedy. She is fascinated by the garden and decides to revive it herself. Over time, she recruits the help of others, including Colin, the sickly son of her uncle. As the garden becomes healthy and beautiful again, Mary, Colin and the others at the home find joy and health themselves.

I think we all love stories of redemption - those sad stories that have that moment when everything turns out to have a purpose, to happen for a reason - those stories when somehow you really believe that everything will turn out okay. It’s the stuff that classics like Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte’s Web and The Little Princess are made of.

As a child, I loved this story because, to me, it was filled with good things: flowers, beauty, love and hope. It was such a nice idea, this thought that working at one thing could yield such positive results. It was the ultimate makeover story.

I still love this story, even as an adult. My nanny bought the DVD for my children and I can’t wait to show it to them. I hope that some day that my children will love the book as much as I do. If I had to guess, I would peg my oldest for a fan. She is, even at the age of five, so introspective and thoughtful. She, too, loves to make things pretty and dig in the dirt (though, in contrast to me, she’s more fascinated in the worms than in the plants!).

If you haven’t yet shared it with your children, I’d encourage you to do so. And yeah, while you’re reading it to them, it’s okay if you crack a smile or two, as well.

Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett