Royal Roots and Hidden Blooms: The Secret Garden and A Little Princess – A Tale of Two Lonely Girls

Frances Hodgson Burnett really said, “Let’s break your heart… and then slowly heal it with kindness, magic, and a bit of gardening.” If you’ve ever read The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, you’ll notice they’re practically soul sisters — two cozy classics wrapped in hope, hardship, and heroine energy.

So let’s break down the striking similarities between these two timeless tales and why they still enchant readers more than a century later.

👧 Two Orphaned Girls, Two Different Worlds

At the heart of both stories is a lonely girl torn from everything familiar:

• Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden) is a sour, neglected child raised in colonial India. When her parents die from cholera, she’s shipped off to a mysterious manor in the Yorkshire moors.

• Sara Crewe (A Little Princess) starts out pampered and adored in Victorian London, but when her wealthy father dies, she’s plunged into poverty at the mercy of a cruel boarding school.

💔 Both girls lose their parents, status, and sense of security — but never (fully) lose their inner spark.

🌱 Growth Is the Real Plot Twist

Burnett didn’t just write stories — she planted character arcs like seeds.

• Mary begins as selfish and cold but slowly transforms into a caring, curious child through the magic of friendship and (literal) gardening.

• Sara, though tested by cruelty and grief, holds onto her imagination, kindness, and dignity, proving that you can still act like royalty even when you’re sweeping floors.

🌼 Moral of the story? Growth isn't just about flowers — it's about resilience, empathy, and inner transformation.

🏰 Settings That Are Basically Characters

Ever notice how the settings are just as alive as the people?

• Misselthwaite Manor is dark, gloomy, and secretive… until Mary finds the hidden garden and life returns.

• The Select Seminary for Young Ladies starts out lavish, then becomes bleak as Sara’s fortunes fade.

🗝️ Both settings reflect the emotional states of the girls — cold and lifeless at first, but gradually filled with warmth and light.

🤝 Found Family and Fierce Friendships

Neither Mary nor Sara gets through their stories alone.

• Mary bonds with Dickon (basically a nature prince), Martha, and her cousin Colin. They become her chosen family and co-conspirators in blooming things back to life.

• Sara inspires loyalty in Becky, Ermengarde, and even the rats in the attic. (Okay, maybe not the rats. But still.)

👯‍♀️ Burnett teaches us that kindness, even in small doses, builds bridges and blooms.

🧚‍♀️ A Sprinkle of Magic (or Maybe Just Hope)

While neither story is technically fantasy, both feel a little enchanted.

• The garden’s healing power in The Secret Garden has a mystical vibe, even if it’s grounded in nature.

• Sara’s imaginative tales and inner nobility feel fairy tale-ish, keeping her spirit alive even in the darkest moments.

✨ Whether it’s called “magic,” “nature,” or “hope,” Burnett laces both books with an invisible force that gently lifts the characters (and the reader) upward.

📝 Why We Still Love Them

Frances Hodgson Burnett didn’t just write children’s stories. She wrote blueprints for emotional survival. In The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, she gifts us:

• protagonists who learn to love and be loved,

• worlds that heal alongside their heroines,

• and a reminder that even in the hardest seasons, something beautiful can grow.

So next time you need a comfort read with a dose of moral fertilizer, visit Mary and Sara. Just don’t forget your handkerchief and your gardening gloves.