The Secret Garden
Hidden Yorkshire sanctuary
A 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett about a spoiled orphan girl who discovers a hidden, neglected garden on her uncle's Yorkshire estate.
The garden's restoration parallels the emotional healing of the children who tend it.
The book remains a classic of children's literature, adapted repeatedly for stage and screen.
By extension, a secret garden is any private refuge or hidden source of renewal: Writing became her secret garden.
Kept out of sight
- overgrownExcessively covered in vegetation
- lockedFastened with a mechanism
- keyLock-opening device
- rosesThorny flowering shrubs
ivy · robin · tended · blooming · cultivated · perennials · pruning · wildflowers
Of lasting excellence
- children's literatureBooks aimed at youth
- VictorianOf a prim era
- manor houseLanded gentry's residence
- orphanChild whose parents died
coming-of-age · British · illustrated · adaptations · governess · invalid · robin · key
Kept out of sight
- locked doorSecured portal requiring key
- keyLock-opening device
- discoveryAct of finding something
- veiledConcealed or obscured
unknown · forbidden · concealed · curiosity · clue · intrigue · unveiling · revelation
Post-illness healing phase
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- fresh airUnenclosed outdoor atmosphere
- wellnessOverall state of health
- restorationReturning something to condition
rejuvenation · nurture · wholeness · renewal · mending · resilience · soothing · revitalization
Freedom from wrongdoing
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- friendshipBond of mutual affection
- discoveryAct of finding something
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
play · curiosity · wonder · growing up · loneliness · orphan · spoiled · tantrum
Increase in size
- renewalMaking current again
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- blossomingBeginning to flower
- flourishingProspering vigorously
redemption · metamorphosis · change · maturation · awakening · revitalization · progress · development
hidden
Kept out of sight
roses · ivy · robin · tended · blooming · cultivated · perennials · pruning · wildflowers · gate
classic
Of lasting excellence
- children's literatureBooks aimed at youth
- VictorianOf a prim era
- manor houseLanded gentry's residence
orphan · coming-of-age · British · illustrated · adaptations · governess · invalid · robin · key · ivy
hidden
Kept out of sight
- locked doorSecured portal requiring key
- keyLock-opening device
- discoveryAct of finding something
veiled · unknown · forbidden · concealed · curiosity · clue · intrigue · unveiling · revelation · forgotten
convalescence
Post-illness healing phase
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- fresh airUnenclosed outdoor atmosphere
- wellnessOverall state of health
restoration · rejuvenation · nurture · wholeness · renewal · mending · resilience · soothing · revitalization · rehabilitation
innocence
Freedom from wrongdoing
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- friendshipBond of mutual affection
- discoveryAct of finding something
adventure · play · curiosity · wonder · growing up · loneliness · orphan · spoiled · tantrum · transformation
growth
Increase in size
- renewalMaking current again
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- blossomingBeginning to flower
flourishing · redemption · metamorphosis · change · maturation · awakening · revitalization · progress · development · healing
- Victorian ClassicsPride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist
- Classic BooksPride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, Moby-Dick, Great Expectations
- British ClassicsPride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist
- classicsHomer, Iliad, the Iliad, Odyssey, the Odyssey
- Kid MoviesHome Alone, E.T., Matilda, Annie, Harry Potter
- 1900s LiteratureThe Time Machine, War of the Worlds, Heart of Darkness, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray
The Secret GardenThe Shining
Lord of the Flies · A Clockwork Orange · The Hunger Games · Gone Girl · American Psycho
The Secret Garden1984
Dystopian surveillance state tale
Blade Runner · Metropolis · Oliver Twist · The Jungle · The Road
The Secret GardenLord of the Flies
Dystopian island survival allegory
The Road · 1984 · The Bell Jar · A Separate Peace · Heart of Darkness
secret, garden, secrets, secrecy, secretly, secretive, secretively, secretiveness, gardens