I know that I read The Secret Garden when I was younger, but I cannot for the life of me remember anything about the story now. I am thoroughly enjoying the read as an adult, and I cannot wait until I get to pick it up again each day. The descriptions are absolutely beautiful, and I truly feel as though I am experiencing each event with her.

I am a little surprised though, at the length and detail with which each scene is described. Most children's literature is more fast paced and action packed to keep the children interested. However, this novel seems to meander through each portion of the garden and each hour of the day. My best conclusion is that it was written in this manner because it was written so long ago for a different audience of children.

I absolutely love the character of Mary. She is a complex character who is introduced as a selfish brat, and slowly develops into a more loving child. She has much more depth than the typical children's literature protagonist. Burnett did an excellent job of slowly morphing her into a more normal child as the story went along.

Again, I am so glad that this book was included in our reading list, and I cannot wait to pick up where I left off!