My love for The Secret Garden

a peek inside my book collection

All photos taken by me in August 2022

The Secret Garden is one of my favorite films, but I didn’t start collecting editions of the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett until I was in college. It began with a dark green copy from 1935 that was illustrated by Charles Robinson. When I opened the cover, I found the name of the first owner written inside. The charmingly crooked cursive told me that ‘Lucy Margaret Tobey’ from Cheshire, England was a little girl; and since she wrote out her full address, I know she must have cherished the book (and wanted it returned to her if it should ever go missing). A quick internet search allowed me to find her birth record – June 5, 1928 – so she was only seven when she received her copy. Sixty-five years later, the film adaptation by Agnieszka Holland was released, introducing a whole new generation to this wonderful tale.

I’ve added to my collection over the years. I just can’t seem to resist an eye-catching cover design, or the hypnotic lure of beautiful illustrations by yet another artist. I even purchased a coloring book recently. During the pandemic, Apple released a free audiobook narrated by Karen Gillan (who does a brilliant Yorkshire accent!) that I highly recommend. Every spring, I read, watch, or listen to The Secret Garden. It’s become a ritual at this point – a way for me to celebrate the growth of the season. I added something else this year, too: a handmade journal with themed art collages. The hint of enchantment in the original has even inspired me to write my own children’s fantasy retelling in the not-so-distant future. Great fiction has a way of unleashing the creativity in all of us; that’s the real magic behind The Secret Garden.

A list of editions I own:

·       William Heinemann; London; 1935 (Charles Robinson)

·       Yearling Books; New York; 1980 (Tasha Tudor)

·       David R. Godine Publishers; Boston; 1987 (Graham Rust)

·       Delithium Press Children’s; New York; 1987 (Troy Howell)

·       Barnes & Noble; New York; 2012 (Andrea Dezso – purple leather)

·       Barnes & Noble; New York; 2015 (Flora Waycott – blue leather)

·       Classics Unfolded; Francis Lincoln; London; 2015 (Becca Stadtlander)

·       Coloring Book; Dover Publications; New York; 2016 (Thea Kliros)

·       Picture Book Retold; Nosy Crow; London; 2021 (Margarita Kukhtina)

I know it isn’t fair to play favorites, but Graham Rust’s illustrations are absolutely breathtaking. I got an oversized hardcover edition for under $5 at Better World Books (such a bargain!) Other great websites to find out-of-print copies are Abe Books and Biblio.

Are you a book collector, too? Let me know in the comments!