The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is now one of Burnett's most popular novels, and is considered to be a classic of children's literature. The main character of this story is Mary Lennox, a sickly, sallow and sour-faced girl. She has been born to rich British parents that are currently living in India. Her self-interested parents were busy with extravagant parties and neglected Mary, leaving her alone. Orphaned by an outbreak of cholera, she is sent back to England to be cared for by her mother's sister's husband. The only person who has any time for the little girl is the chambermaid Martha Sowerby, who tells Mary about a locked up garden. Mary finds the key to the secret garden buried outside with the help of a robin. The same robin shows her where the door is hidden beneath overgrown ivy. Once inside, she discovers that although the roses seem lifeless, some of the other flowers have survived. She decides to tend the garden herself.