"Magic is in me!!"
These magical words were put forth a century ago by Frances Hodgson Burnett before I had heard about “Universe Conspires” or “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”.
The Secret Garden is the story of Mary Lennox, a girl with a closed mindset who changes herself in a different environment and helps cure another kid who has blocked the world to himself due to a supposed deformity. The titular garden acts as a catalyst in this journey and is not the only secret that would be uncovered.
Through this novel, Burnett presents the power of the positive influence of human companionship. Having Martha and Dickon in her new life has tremendously favored Mary, the same Mary who was called "the contrary" not long ago in another life in a distant land. They seem to her to be living sufficiently happy lives, on their own terms, without materialistic wealth. Their concern for fellow humans, even animals, manifests in Mary in her approach towards Colin. Nature too plays a complimentary but important role in the emotional growth of the two children. The dried leaves and the flowers of the secret garden bring the promise of pleasant sight and feel with the onset of Spring. Mary is encouraged to care and nurture whereas Colin imbibes the magic of transformation to improve his own physical health.
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"You've been out. You've been out. There's that nice smell of leaves", he cried. She had been running and her hair was loose and blown and she was bright with the air and pink cheeked though he could not see it. "It's beautiful" she said, a little breathless with her speed.
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I listened to the story on Audible’s free collection for kids, which I was checking for my son but ended up reading for myself! Johanna Ward’s splendid narration transports you to England of the 1900s, where and when children were happy to spend time skip-roping and drew mighty pleasures from nature’s abundance. Burnett’s words are enchanting enough to keep you hooked.
It was surprising to find India and some of its culture being cited in the novel with its mention always invoking curiosity in the characters that resided in Yorkshire where most of the story is set. I liked how a lullaby in “Hindustani” was used to soothe an upset child to sleep. A minor critique here is that India is always mentioned in general, without a single mention of the specific place where Mary had lived, when talking about hot weather or dialects.
The book had turned out a perfect quarantine read and I would happily recommend it to my kid someday. We get to read rarely about walled gardens that open into one another, with wide lawns and winding walks with clipped borders.
The leatherbound Barnes and Noble edition (in the picture) has a beautiful cover and a few illustrations that will not challenge your imagination. It would certainly last longer on your shelf along with adding the luxury. Written text makes referencing easier but to read this book for the first time, I recommend the audio by Johanna Ward.
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And in the grass, under the trees, in the grey urns, the alcoves and here and there, everywhere were touches of splashes of gold and purple and white. And trees were showing pink and snow above his head and there were fluttering of wings and faint, sweet pipes and humming and scents and scents.
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