The Secret Garden

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Mary Lennox is sent to the Yorkshire countryside to live with her uncle after the death of her parents. There she encounters two mysteries -- a walled-in garden with no key and a sound in the house like a child crying.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read this book, although I did see a movie adaptation as a child.

Because this book is older, it sometimes sounds stuffier than today's children's books. American children may have difficulty identifying with Mary or any of the other children because of the language and their dependence on servants.

The story is a relatively short one and can be consumed in an afternoon. At first, the story is about Mary and her adjustment to life in England. She is fascinated by a story she hears about an old locked garden on the property. When Mary meets her cousin Colin, the story begins to focus on their friendship and the quest to find a way into their secret garden and save it. Toward the end, the story focuses on Colin's relationship with his father, whose misguided grief over his wife's death causes him to overprotect his son.

The audio recording periodically contains background music and sound effects. I find these types of effects the most distracting, but only the Indian music detracts from the story. It's harder to focus on the words with the music playing because it's just as loud as the words. Occasionally, certain passages are loud and others are quiet which is annoying because the reader has to adjust the volume to hear, or is startled by a sudden louder passage.

Glenda Jackson is a great narrator for this story. She perfectly captures the aristocratic sound of the adults in the story and gives the book a decidedly more English feel.

Frances Hodgson Burnett was a British author and US citizen most well-known for her children's books The Secret Garden and The Little Princess. Her adult novels were popular in her time, but are largely forgotten today.

Publisher: Harper Audio

Narrator: Glenda Jackson

Running Time: 2 hours, 58 minutes

Release Date: September 10, 2020

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.