Setting

The Secret Garden takes place in early 20th-century England, primarily on the Yorkshire moors. The story begins in British-controlled India but quickly shifts to Yorkshire after the protagonist Mary Lennox is orphaned and sent to live with her uncle.

The main setting is Misselthwaite Manor, a sprawling English country estate located on the bleak Yorkshire moors. The manor is described as a large, imposing stone building with a hundred rooms, most of which are locked and unused. The expansive grounds contain several walled gardens, including the titular secret garden that has been locked and neglected for a decade.

The harsh but beautiful Yorkshire moor—a vast expanse of wild grassland and heath beyond the manor grounds—plays an important role in the story, contrasting with the cultivated gardens and representing freedom and healing for the characters. Key locations on the moor include the cottage of the Sowerby family and the surrounding wilderness where Dickon roams with his animal companions.

Characters

• Mary Lennox: The protagonist, a 10-year-old girl who is orphaned in India and sent to live with her uncle in England. Initially spoiled and disagreeable, Mary gradually becomes kinder and more empathetic as she discovers the secret garden and makes friends. She takes charge of reviving the garden and helps restore Colin's health.

• Colin Craven: Mary's sickly cousin who has been confined to bed for years. He is initially pessimistic and temperamental but regains his health and spirits with Mary's help and time spent in the secret garden. 

• Dickon Sowerby: A 12-year-old local boy who befriends Mary. He has a special way with animals and plants, helping Mary bring the secret garden back to life. Dickon's cheerful nature and knowledge of nature are instrumental in Colin's recovery.

• Archibald Craven: Mary's uncle and Colin's father, a hunchbacked man who has been in deep mourning since his wife's death and travels constantly to escape his grief. His homecoming and transformation end the story on a note of hope. 

• Martha Sowerby: A young maid at Misselthwaite Manor who becomes Mary's first friend. She tells Mary about the secret garden and helps her adjust to her new life.

• Ben Weatherstaff: The elderly gardener at Misselthwaite Manor. He secretly tends to the garden and becomes an ally to the children.

• Mrs. Medlock: The stern housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor. She is initially wary of Mary but softens towards her over time.

• Susan Sowerby: Martha and Dickon's mother, a wise and nurturing figure who provides guidance to the children. She helps keep the secret of Colin's improving health.

Quick facts

• Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of numerous books for young readers, considered The Secret Garden to be her favorite of all her novels.

• The Secret Garden was first published in book form in 1911.

• It was originally serialized in The American Magazine from 1910 to 1911.

• The garden at Maytham Hall in Kent, England, where Burnett lived for a time, inspired the secret garden in the book.

• The character of Dickon was originally written as physically disabled in early drafts.

• The Secret Garden has never been out of print over the century since its debut.

• The Secret Garden has been adapted into several films, TV series, stage plays, and even an opera.

• The 1949 film adaptation was filmed partly in black-and-white and partly in Technicolor.

• The 1993 film adaptation. directed by Agnieszka Holland and starring Kate Maberly, was widely praised for capturing the magic and emotion of Burnett's story. 

• A musical based on the book premiered on Broadway in 1991, won three Tony Awards, and was revived two decades later for a national tour.

• An anime television adaptation called Anime Himitsu no Hanazono aired in Japan in the early 1990s.

• In 2003, The Secret Garden ranked #51 in the BBC's survey of the UK's Best-loved Novel.

About the Author

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was a prolific British-American author best known for her children's novels. Born in Manchester, England, Burnett emigrated to Tennessee with her family as a teenager following her father's death. She began writing to support her family at age 19, publishing stories in popular magazines. Her career as a novelist took off in 1886 with the publication of Little Lord Fauntleroy, which became a literary sensation on both sides of the Atlantic. The success of A Little Princess in 1905 secured her reputation. 

Continuing to write novels, short stories, and plays over the next several decades, Burnett divided her time between homes in England and America. She drew inspiration from the gardens at her English country estate for The Secret Garden. First published in 1911, this widely beloved novel has never been out of print.

Though best remembered today for her children's stories, Burnett was also a successful writer of adult fiction. Her novels often featured rags-to-riches stories and explored themes of class and social mobility. Burnett faced personal tragedies, including the death of her elder son and two divorces, but continued writing prolifically until the end of her life. Her enduring literary legacy is evident in the continued popularity of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, which have been adapted many times for stage and screen. A memorial sculpture depicting characters from The Secret Garden was erected in New York's Central Park in 1936, celebrating Burnett's contributions to children's literature.