The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett was a reread for me, but I hadn't read it in many years. It's a perfect book for spring! It's utterly charming and a nice relief from our current anxieties (though it starts off with a deadly cholera epidemic!). Because of the time in which the book was written there does seem to be a bit of racism going on, though I do think it is mixed in with the classicism of the age as well. Other than that, the story is really charming and almost ecstatic when it comes to the wonders of spring, when all the plants, trees and flowers begin to bloom. The healing of the two children, Mary Lennox and Colin Craven, comes from their connection with nature and from the almost magical qualities of the Yorkshire peasant lad, Dickon and his wise and loving mother. The book begins with Mary Lennox and slowly shifts in perspective to Colin. It's got a most satisfying ending. Enchanting!
Two thumbs up! For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
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