Description:

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a magical novel for adults and children alike 'I've stolen a garden,' she said very fast. 'It isn't mine. It isn't anybody's. Nobody wants it, nobody cares for it, nobody ever goes into it. Perhaps everything is dead in it already; I don't know.' After losing her parents, young Mary Lennox is sent from India to live in her uncle's gloomy mansion on the wild English moors. She is lonely and has no one to play with, but one day she learns of a secret garden somewhere in the grounds that no one is allowed to enter. Then Mary uncovers an old key in a flowerbed - and a gust of magic leads her to the hidden door. Slowly she turns the key and enters a world she could never have imagined. ***Now in a beautiful clothbound cover*** ***With a heartwarming introduction by Sophie Dahl*** *** A behind-the-scenes jounrey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more...*** Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was born in Manchester. She had a very poor upbringing and used to escape from the horror of her surroundings by writing stories. In 1865 her family emigrated to the USA where she married and became the successful author of many children's books including Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.

Review

“It is only the exceptional author who can write a book about children with sufficient skill, charm, simplicity, and significance to make it acceptable to both young and old. Mrs. Burnett is one of the few thus gifted.”—The New York Times

About the Author

Frances Hodgson Burnett lived from 1849 to 1924. She was born in Manchester and lived in great poverty after the death of her father in 1853. She escaped the horror of her surroundings by writing stories and often returned to a rags-to-riches or a riches-to-rags theme. In 1865 her family accepted a relative’s invitation to emigrate to America. They were still poor but the wide open spaces of Tennesssee were better than the slums of Manchester. Frances had to earn money so began writing short pieces for American magazines. In 1873 she married Dr Swan Burnett, and it was under her married name that she became a world-famous children’s writer.

Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote over forty books; the two that are best-known today are The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy. In later life she became rather eccentric, turned to spiritualism and mystic cults and took to wearing frilly clothes and titian-coloured wigs – this earned her the nickname ‘Fluffy’.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER I
There Is No One Left

When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true, too. She had a little thin face and a little thin body, thin light hair and a sour expression. Her hair was yellow, and her face was yellow because she had been born in India and had always been ill in one way or another. Her father had held a position under the English Government and had always been busy and ill himself, and her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people. She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who was made to understand that if she wished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as much as possible. So when she was a sickly, fretful, ugly little baby she was kept out of the way, and when she became a sickly, fretful, toddling thing she was kept out of the way also. She never remembered seeing familiarly anything but the dark faces of her Ayah and the other native servants, and as they always obeyed her and gave her her own way in everything, because the Mem Sahib would be angry if she was disturbed by her crying, by the time she was six years old she was as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived. The young English governess who came to teach her to read and write disliked her so much that she gave up her place in three months, and when other governesses came to try to fill it they always went away in a shorter time than the first one. So if Mary had not chosen to really want to know how to read books she would never have learned her letters at all.

One frightfully hot morning, when she was about nine years old, she awakened feeling very cross, and she became crosser still when she saw that the servant who stood by her bedside was not her Ayah.

“Why did you come?” she said to the strange woman. “I will not let you stay. Send my Ayah to me.”

The woman looked frightened, but she only stammered that the Ayah could not come and when Mary threw herself into a passion and beat and kicked her, she looked only more frightened and repeated that it was not possible for the Ayah to come to Missie Sahib.

There was something mysterious in the air that morning. Nothing was done in its regular order and several of the native servants seemed missing, while those whom Mary saw slunk or hurried about with ashy and scared faces. But no one would tell her anything and her Ayah did not come. She was actually left alone as the morning went on, and at last she wandered out into the garden and began to play by herself under a tree near the veranda. She pretended that she was making a flower-bed, and she stuck big scarlet hibiscus blossoms into little heaps of earth, all the time growing more and more angry and muttering to herself the things she would say and the names she would call Saidie when she returned.

“Pig! Pig! Daughter of Pigs!” she said, because to call a native a pig is the worst insult of all.

She was grinding her teeth and saying this over and over again when she heard her mother come out on the veranda with some one. She was with a fair young man and they stood talking together in low strange voices. Mary knew the fair young man who looked like a boy. She had heard that he was a very young officer who had just come from England. The child stared at him, but she stared most at her mother. She always did this when she had a chance to see her, because the Mem Sahib—Mary used to call her that oftener than anything else—was such a tall, slim, pretty person and wore such lovely clothes. Her hair was like curly silk and she had a delicate little nose which seemed to be disdaining things, and she had large laughing eyes. All her clothes were thin and floating, and Mary said they were “full of lace.” They looked fuller of lace than ever this morning, but her eyes were not laughing at all. They were large and scared and lifted imploringly to the fair boy officer’s face.

“Is it so very bad? Oh, is it?” Mary heard her say.

“Awfully,” the young man answered in a trembling voice. “Awfully, Mrs. Lennox. You ought to have gone to the hills two weeks ago.”

The Mem Sahib wrung her hands.

“Oh, I know I ought!” she cried. “I only stayed to go to that silly dinner party. What a fool I was!”

At that very moment such a loud sound of wailing broke out from the servants’ quarters that she clutched the young man’s arm, and Mary stood shivering from head to foot. The wailing grew wilder and wilder.

“What is it? What is it?” Mrs. Lennox gasped.

“Some one has died,” answered the boy officer. “You did not say it had broken out among your servants.”

“I did not know!” the Mem Sahib cried. “Come with me! Come with me!” and she turned and ran into the house.

After that appalling things happened, and the mysteriousness of the morning was explained to Mary. The cholera had broken out in its most fatal form and people were dying like flies. The Ayah had been taken ill in the night, and it was because she had just died that the servants had wailed in the huts. Before the next day three other servants were dead and others had run away in terror. There was panic on every side, and dying people in all the bungalows.

During the confusion and bewilderment of the second day Mary hid herself in the nursery and was forgotten by every one. Nobody thought of her, nobody wanted her, and strange things happened of which she knew nothing. Mary alternately cried and slept through the hours. She only knew that people were ill and that she heard mysterious and frightening sounds. Once she crept into the dining-room and found it empty, though a partly finished meal was on the table and chairs and plates looked as if they had been hastily pushed back when the diners rose suddenly for some reason. The child ate some fruit and biscuits, and being thirsty she drank a glass of wine which stood nearly filled. It was sweet, and she did not know how strong it was. Very soon it made her intensely drowsy, and she went back to her nursery and shut herself in again, frightened by cries she heard in the huts and by the hurrying sound of feet. The wine made her so sleepy that she could scarcely keep her eyes open and she lay down on her bed and knew nothing more for a long time.

Many things happened during the hours in which she slept so heavily, but she was not disturbed by the wails and the sound of things being carried in and out of the bungalow.

When she awakened she lay and stared at the wall. The house was perfectly still. She had never known it to be so silent before. She heard neither voices nor footsteps, and wondered if everybody had got well of the cholera and all the trouble was over. She wondered also who would take care of her now her Ayah was dead. There would be a new Ayah, and perhaps she would know some new stories. Mary had been rather tired of the old ones. She did not cry because her nurse had died. She was not an affectionate child and had never cared much for any one. The noise and hurrying about and wailing over the cholera had frightened her, and she had been angry because no one seemed to remember that she was alive. Every one was too panic-stricken to think of a little girl no one was fond of. When people had the cholera it seemed that they remembered nothing but themselves. But if every one had got well again, surely some one would remember and come to look for her.

But no one came, and as she lay waiting the house seemed to grow more and more silent. She heard something rustling on the matting and when she looked down she saw a little snake gliding along and watching her with eyes like jewels. She was not frightened, because he was a harmless little thing who would not hurt her and he seemed in a hurry to get out of the room. He slipped under the door as she watched him.

“How queer and quiet it is,” she said. “It sounds as if there was no one in the bungalow but me and the snake.”

Almost the next minute she heard footsteps in the compound, and then on the veranda. They were men’s footsteps, and the men entered the bungalow and talked in low voices. No one went to meet or speak to them and they seemed to open doors and look into rooms.

“What desolation!” she heard one voice say. “That pretty, pretty woman! I suppose the child, too. I heard there was a child, though no one ever saw her.”

Mary was standing in the middle of the nursery when they opened the door a few minutes later. She looked an ugly, cross little thing and was frowning because she was beginning to be hungry and feel disgracefully neglected. The first man who came in was a large officer she had once seen talking to her father. He looked tired and troubled, but when he saw her he was so startled that he almost jumped back.

“Barney!” he cried out. “There is a child here! A child alone! In a place like this! Mercy on us, who is she!”

“I am Mary Lennox,” the little girl said, drawing herself up stiffly. She thought the man was very rude to call her father’s bungalow “A place like this!” “I fell asleep when every one had the cholera and I have only just wakened up. Why does nobody come?”

“It is the child no one ever saw!” exclaimed the man, turning to his companions. “She has actually been forgotten!”

“Why was I forgotten?” Mary said, stamping her foot. “Why does nobody come?”

The young man whose name was Barney looked at her very sadly. Mary even thought she saw him wink his eyes as if to wink tears away.

“Poor little kid!” he said. “There is nobody left to come.”

It was in that strange and sudden way that Mary found out that she had neither father nor mother left; that they had died and been carried away in the night, and that the few native servants who had not died also had left the house as quickly as they could get out of it, none of them even remembering that there was a Missie Sahib. That was why the place was so quiet. It was true that there was no one in the bungalow but herself and the little rustling snake.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful story!

A.C. · October 24, 2025

There’s a reason this book is a classic, and always will be. The story is both heartbreaking and uplifting. In the end it’s about Hope love and courage.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story

J.O. · September 22, 2025

Lovely story

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful story for children,

g. · June 22, 2025

And adults! This is written as a children’s story, but there are are so many wonderful lessons for adults here also. Please read it to your children and absorb the morals for yourself at the same time.

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but still deserves its reputation as a children's classic

K.S. · January 20, 2018

Despite being a voracious reader, there are some books considered "children's classics" that I have never read. I decided to rectify this recently by picking up "The Secret Garden." I was somewhat familiar with the story, as I'd watched a film adaptation of the story at one point, but am fully aware that books and their movies can often be vastly different. So though I could predict certain things about the story as I read, I still found it an enjoyable read... even if it isn't my favorite book, and certain elements felt strange in their inclusion, especially towards the end."The Secret Garden" follows Mary, a spoiled and unlikable young girl and the daughter of a British officer living in India. When her parents die of a terrible sickness, she's shuttled off to England to live with a reclusive uncle, and finds herself lost and alone in the gloomy manor. But as she sets out to explore her new home and make sense of this strange new land, she discovers the titular secret garden -- a garden that has been locked up since her aunt died in a tragic accident ten years ago. Enchanted by the garden, Mary sets out to tend it and bring it back to life, aided by a grouchy gardener, a soft-hearted animal-loving boy named Dickon... and Colin, a cousin who has been locked inside all his life and treated like an invalid. The garden turns out to be just the thing both Mary and Colin need to revitalize themselves... and it just may finally bring healing to a family long broken by tragedy..."The Secret Garden" is an enchanting novel, told with an almost fairy-tale-like language that evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of the English moors and gardens and their inhabitants. The writing style is lovely, and paints clear pictures in the mind. The heavy Yorkshire accents of certain characters can be tricky at times, but I managed anyhow. And while Dickon as a character feels a little too good to be true, almost straying into Mary-Sue territory, it's nice to see Mary and Colin develop as the book goes in, gaining confidence in themselves and shedding some of the selfishness and bad temper their sheltered lives have given them.The biggest flaw, in my opinion, is that the book strays into a weird fantasy/magical-realism realm toward the end, which I feel wasn't foreshadowed very well. I love fantasy and don't mind magical realism, but it felt out of place here, especially with Colin going on about studying "magic" while at the same time declaring he wants to be a scientist. It just felt odd to me, and while it might be a product of its time (this book IS over a century old), it did taint my enjoyment somewhat.Still, complaints aside, I can easily see why "The Secret Garden" enjoys a reputation as a children's classic. It's not the best children's novel I've ever read, but I enjoyed it, and am glad I gave it a chance. Perhaps I'll pick up the author's other classic, "A Little Princess," sometime in the near future...

5.0 out of 5 stars Love these

D. · July 10, 2025

I am absolutely obsessed with these books and have managed to get quite a few of them collected already. They are incredibly beautiful and the colors on the covers are incredible. The binding is sturdy and the class is unmatched. Perfect for book lovers and a must have for budding libraries!!! My goal is to collect the entire collection. You literally can’t beat the price for the quality.

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical return to the past

R.C. · July 2, 2017

I never read ‘The Secret Garden’ as a child, nor any of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s books. Now in my second childhood, this was, therefore, my first encounter and I enjoyed the read even if there are failings from a writer’s perspective in the 21st century.However, as I started reading I found the descriptions and characterisations were pulling me into a secret world. The author had a way of using short phrases to capture a sense of the characters and settings. Maybe the technique would be hard to replicate today, but it worked in the context of the novel and the period in which it is set. This was a time before the First World War for both characters and author. This may explain a certain innocence that two world wars dispelled.Locked into the words and images, I was drawn deeper into Mary's world and her explorations. Robin was a cute character that felt almost human in his mannerisms. Some might say anthropomorphic - Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities – but for me, the characteristics fitted the bird I knew from growing up in England. He becomes the character that ‘unlocks’ the secret garden and the healing that Mary and others need.When she was in the garden, I could see it and sense it. Some might feel that Dickon is unreal and yet he came alive for me, first in what his sister Martha said about him and then when Mary met him. I’ve been lucky that I have known a few special people like him and the character echoed memories of those that have a rapport with wild animals.When Mary found the source of the crying, the book added another character and another level. Damaged characters and healing is a theme from the start of the novel, but it’s the secret garden that’s the catalyst. I liked all the interactions between the characters, and the use of mirror images that Mary and others must face to grow.When Spring arrived, there was magic is in the air. That is what makes this book work for me and why I suspect that it still survives alongside other children’s classics. Frances Hodgson Burnett captures that feeling of magic that in many ways exist in the natural world around us. There are elements that felt wrong to me reading in 2017, but omniscient POV, idealised social situations, and outdated attitudes were, unfortunately, the norm when the novel was written so they didn’t spoil my enjoyment – just deducted one star as a writer with a conscience. But that star magically re-appeared.

5.0 out of 5 stars A grand adventure for the young, as well, young at heart, with many a secret to find.

T.R. · December 9, 2024

The physical copy I ordered has been sent to a loved one. I maintain an old copy at home and just finished rereading this tale on Kindle, as my situation allows. It had been almost 4 decades since I ventured forth with Miss Mary onto the grounds discovering life in all its glory and more than one secret along the way. What an adventure it has been once again. Only this time, a bit more seasoned, I made a discovery I had not made when younger. The truth of the secret garden. What it truly is, where to find it, and then what to do with it. These are the real secrets hidden within this gem of a novel and timeless tale. Told in a way that can appeal to every age. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, giftable edition

D.C. · June 18, 2025

This is a lovely, high quality edition of the book. It is heavy weight, sturdy, with thick glossy paper and lovely illustrations. It would make a perfect gift version or a nice addition to any bookshelf. Other books could take note (looking at you, Puffin in Bloom collection).

Każde dziecko powinno mieć w swojej bibliotece (o ile ją ma) tą książkę.

c. · May 23, 2025

Doskonałe wydanie.

Lindo, impecável e veio bem antes do previsto

C.K. · January 6, 2025

Comprei este livro para a minha coleção pessoal, e não me desapontei. É realmente muito lindo, as ilustrações são maravilhosas, e tem partes interativas. É um clássico e esta edição é simplesmente perfeita! O livro chegou pelo menos 4 dias antes da data em que estava previsto chegar, o que me surpreendeu pela positiva. Veio embalado em plástico e está novíssimo.

قصه

s. · September 20, 2024

القصه تختلف قليلا عن النسخه المدرسية

Captivating

S.A. · September 17, 2022

I don't often write reviews for books but I had to for this one.I loved this story and the movie when I was a child and wanted it to captivate the imagination of my daughter in just the same way. Unfortunately, like many of the classics, the language is now very outdated and stilted and hard to read or understand for children nowadays.This collection of classic stories that Miles Kelly has revamped is absolutely wonderful! We started with The Wizard of Oz and are now half way through The Secret Garden. My seven year old daughter is enchanted by it. Both of us really look forward to our bedtime reading session now.The illustrations are plentiful and beautiful. Each page is bordered with ivy vines and roses, giving it the feeling of real quality and luxury. The chapters are perfectly sized (we read two or three a night but if the child is reading it alone, than one would be perfect).And the story itself has not been altered, but the wording makes it much more up to date whilst still retaining the air of a good classic. Absolutely love the Yorkshire accents bit. My Nan is a Yorkshire lass and I can see her so well in my mind's eye whilst reading Martha's dialogue.Magical. A must have for any literature loving family!

Simplesmente lindo

K. · September 10, 2025

Maravilhoso. Eu já tive esse livro quando morei nos Estados Unidos há alguns anos atrás e sempre fui apaixonada pela história desde que era criança, acabei perdendo o livro por me mudar mas ao voltar para o Brasil decidi comprar a mesma edição novamente pois é simplesmente maravilhosa e encantadora.

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The Secret Garden (Puffin Classics)

Name: The Secret Garden (Puffin Classics)
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SKU: U0141336536
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Rating: 4.6 (13 reviews)

Product ID: U0141336536

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4.6

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The Secret Garden (Puffin Classics)

Product ID: U0141336536

Condition: New

4.6

Type: Hardcover

^AED81¹³

Price includes VAT & Import Duties

Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

Description:

Review

About the Author

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful story!

A.C. · October 24, 2025

There’s a reason this book is a classic, and always will be. The story is both heartbreaking and uplifting. In the end it’s about Hope love and courage.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story

J.O. · September 22, 2025

Lovely story

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful story for children,

g. · June 22, 2025

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but still deserves its reputation as a children's classic

K.S. · January 20, 2018

5.0 out of 5 stars Love these

D. · July 10, 2025

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical return to the past

R.C. · July 2, 2017

5.0 out of 5 stars A grand adventure for the young, as well, young at heart, with many a secret to find.

T.R. · December 9, 2024

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, giftable edition

D.C. · June 18, 2025

Każde dziecko powinno mieć w swojej bibliotece (o ile ją ma) tą książkę.

c. · May 23, 2025

Doskonałe wydanie.

Lindo, impecável e veio bem antes do previsto

C.K. · January 6, 2025

قصه

s. · September 20, 2024

القصه تختلف قليلا عن النسخه المدرسية

Captivating

S.A. · September 17, 2022

Simplesmente lindo

K. · September 10, 2025

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