The Secret Garden

Having not read this book since I was a child, I was surprised at how little of the details I remembered. I remember a little girl going to live at a big forbidding mansion and her sickly cousin who find an unkempt garden and bring it back to life. What I didn't remember was the overt racism, the classism of the young boy and the sheer neglect of the master of the house to the children because he was grieving.

As an adult, I am pretty salty about a lot of this book and I can see why not many people might have their children read this now.

There is some evolution of the surly and sickly children as they spend time in nature and the healing power of activity and hope but so much of Colin's illness could have been avoided if he had been loved. If this were a modern story, the father would be hauled. up on child neglect and abuse charges, and both children would be spending a goodly amount of time in therapy. Sheesh.

I had planned to re-read A Little Princess next but I'm afraid my childhood memory of that book will also be destroyed.