A Little Princess

A Little Princess is the story of Sara Crew, a young girl who grew up in India, but is sent to live at a girl's boarding school while her father is away. She lives in the life of luxury, and is given anything her heart desires. Suddenly, she receives some dreadful news and her entire world turns upside down.

Despite the hardships, Sara never looses her kind nature, nor her imagination. She tells stories to the other girls at the school, and shares her meals when she has hardly any. She is a very inspiring little girl.

Prior to reading this, I had seen the 1995 film adaptation of the book. I loved the original film. The wonder, the imagination, and even the plot. The original story was equally as enjoyable. It is truly a classic that has withstood the test of time and deserves to stay a classic.

For anyone interested, the reasons Sara's father leaves her are different between the book at the movie. As such, the endings are also different. I loved both endings equally, and think they are perfect endings for their formats.

I reread this after enjoying Laurie's review – whose first-time read as an adult made me want to revisit one of my childhood favorites. I still love it, although the classism of the story, as with all of Burnett's books, is grating for modern readers. However, its ultimate message for me is about the wealth to be found in inner development. Sara is a rich girl because she gives generously to others, and a princess because she is master of her own soul. She is not constrained by outer circumstances, but knows how to transform them through her inner attitude and activity. Thus she is free, even when treated like a slave. The images of this 20th century fairy tale are simple and appealing for children, but still ring true to me today.