The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden tells the story of two young, spoiled, ill children. The 10-year-old girl, Mary Lennox, is brought up in India, with disinterested parents and servants who answer to her every whim. Following her parents’ deaths in a cholera outbreak, she is brought to England by her uncle Archibald Craven and is ensconced at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, with only the servants for company.
The maid Martha and her very wise mother and younger brother Dickon, all play their part in bringing the sickly, spoiled and selfish girl out into her better self. Then, just as she is beginning to become healthy and gaining a focus outside of herself, she discovers her cousin Colin Craven. He is bedridden, spoiled and self-centred too. Everyone considers him an invalid, doomed to an early death. Together with the help of the wonderful and magical Dickon, the two children discover the joys of being in the outdoors, exercising their bodies and their minds by having a goal to focus on. They gain much from the garden that becomes the centre of their recovery and the catalyst for their improvement in health and attitude. It provides them with a mental outlet, a physical outlet and a positive focus. On the way through we meet the characters of Ben Weatherstaff, the Robin and the very sad Archibald Craven. The Secret Garden has wonderful elements of mystery, spirituality, charming characters and an authentic rendering of childhood emotions and experiences. Faith, compassion and a belief in the essential goodness of human beings lie at the heart of this unforgettable story.
