The Secret Garden in Space and Time

My own The Secret Garden, from the Macmillan Collector's Library

If the title of the soon-to-be released Emmy and the Iris has caught your attention, it may be because of the subtitle: A Fanciful French Twist on The Secret Garden. It refers, of course, to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, published in 1911. Rewriting a classic is always delicate and even intimidating (will the English ever forgive me for transplanting the setting to France, of all places?), but I couldn't resist the temptation. After all, Josy’s Little Library was created in the hopes of transmitting a mom’s love of literature and life lessons by writing books for her children. Sometimes this includes updating the classics to find new ways to communicate their timeless messages to current and future generations. Today, I wish to share in detail the influence that the original book and its author had on my writing process.

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was born in England. Her family moved to the United States in 1865 due to financial hardship and the death of her father. She cultivated reading and writing as a passion, but when her mother passed away, Frances had to support her brothers and sisters through her writing. She quickly made a name for herself in both the US and England, and her two greatest literary triumphs included Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden*.

The Secret Garden is a poetic story of a spoiled, disagreeable young girl named Mary who, following the death of her parents with whom she lived in India, goes to take up residence with her uncle in England. Disliked or ignored by adults, especially her grieving uncle, she discovers a secret garden that she goes about restoring with her cousin Colin. The experience is transformative for both children’s mental and physical health.

There are many reasons I chose to honor this novel and its author. First, the novel is accessible to many age groups in terms of reading level and themes. Children, teenagers and adults can enjoy it in different ways. Children can enjoy the mystery and secret elements of a story concerning children of their own age through an uncomplicated storyline. Teenagers can appreciate the messages of hope and the healing power of nature while learning about the history of British colonialism in India. Adults can appreciate literary elements such as the gentle, soothing imagery of castles and gardens, and the themes of trauma or adverse life circumstances that can produce long-lasting effects. In any age group, it can be read therapeutically, as an escape from hectic, technology-driven modern life.

There have of course been critiques of Burnett’s version, notably that the portrayals of Indian servants are degrading and racist. Some also criticize Burnett’s “easy” solution to very real mental diseases such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders, and physical ones such as the spinal disorder from which Mary’s cousin suffers, as if they are “all in one’s head” and easy to cure (“Go out and get some sunshine! Play in nature!”). We know from a modern perspective, of course, that these diseases are much more complex to resolve. However, her message that a deeper connection to nature can have positive effects on one’s mood and energy still rings true. Consider the recent boom in “digital detox vacations” or the popularity of reconnecting to simple, self-sufficient living during and after the Covid pandemic, proof that many people have realized that they are disconnected from nature while anxiously trying to keep up with their virtual lives, causing additional stress.

This version of The Secret Garden is therefore not an attempt to “best” the original version nor modernize every character and notion. The objective is to pay tribute to Burnett’s fabulous work and inspiring life by bringing her messages of nature, childhood, family, love, grief, and personal transformation into today’s world. France, a modern culture with a well-preserved ancient landscape, seemed like the perfect setting. While reading this new version, you can ask yourself many questions, depending on whether you have read the original. Which characters are based on the original ones? Which are new and how do they reflect our times? Which societal problems are mentioned in the book? What impact do grief and love have on the story and how do these feelings evolve throughout the book? Finally, if you haven’t yet read the original, don’t hesitate to do so. A more beautiful, touching, and eye-opening book is very hard to come by, indeed.

A version of this blog post is available as a dowloadable document on the Learning Materials page, which includes French-learning worksheets, discussion questions, videos and other materials to accompany the book. For more on the book, please click here. You can view the trailer here.

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*Source: https://www.deadtreepublishing.com/pages/frances-hodgson-burnett