Books for Lolitas: The Secret Garden

I apologize for the break. Matt and I had house guests for the week and while it was great fun and we were sad to see them go, I didn't have a great deal of time for writing while they were here. As a warning there are several similar situations arising through the end of October, but now that I've realized how little time I will have, I'll attempt to have entries written in advance.

The week before the break I wrote about A Little Princess. In my head there is another book I have always looked upon as a companion to that story. So it only feels right that I speak on this just a little.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I say I think of the books as companions, though it is probably more accurate to say they are similar opposites.  Both are stories of girls in a similar situation, but the girls in question are very different girls. Where Sara is a kind person at the start, Mary has a rather sour personality and little idea of how to interact with others. Still, I rather like Mary as a character.


At the beginning of the story she isn't anyone I'd particularly wish to meet. And that is, I think, the beauty of this story. It's a story about learning to be kind. No matter the circumstances you can become a better person by finding something you feel worth working for.