Over the years of the Victoria Classics Book Club, our group has grown to encompass thousands of members connected by a love of reading. Below, find discussion questions for past volumes, which can be explored further on our Book Selections page. We also invite you to join the ongoing conversation on our Facebook page, where you will meet a delightful coterie of devoted readers.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Escape into a world of enchantment and possibility. Frances Hodgson Burnett invites readers to discover, alongside nine-year-old Mary Lennox, the magic hidden within a walled English garden. Cultivating this oasis brings about healing, not only for the orphaned girl but also for her sickly cousin Colin. Find a beautiful bonded-leather edition of The Secret Garden in our online shop, and join the Victoria Classics Book Club in revisiting this cherished tale.
In Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved classic, what was your initial impression of Mary Lennox? Did you feel sympathy, or was her behavior too off-putting to elicit compassion?
Just as a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, Mary’s personality undergoes an equally amazing metamorphosis as she spends time with the ever-ebullient Martha Sowerby. Is there someone in your life, past or present, who brings out the best in you?
When Mary visits Martha’s humble cottage in The Secret Garden, she immediately feels warmth and welcome. Despite the family’s lack of wealth, they are the embodiment of a happy home. What are three things that you think bring a sense of cozy comfort to an abode?
Young Mary is able to see past the façade of elderly gardener Ben Weatherstaff’s gruff exterior, and the two eventually form a sweet friendship. Can you think of someone who became a friend after you got past the hard outer shell to find a sweet soul inside?
Frances Hodgson Burnett creates an almost mythical persona for Dickon Sowerby, a character who never fails to enchant. Do you have a favorite scene featuring this “Yorkshire angel”? Which of his charming attributes do you admire the most?
The reference to magic weaves a thread throughout The Secret Garden, from the robin leading Mary to the key that opens the garden’s vine-hidden gate to the miraculous revival of the space once lovingly tending by Colin’s late mother. What were your first impressions of this enchanting tale? Have you ever had an experience that you would call magical?
In one glorious afternoon, indulge in the complementary pleasures of teatime and reading. “They saw the robin carry food to his mate two or three times,” Frances Hodgson Burnett writes, “and it was so suggestive of afternoon tea that Colin felt they must have some.” While getting lost in this enchanted tale, find quiet moments to enjoy an assortment of sweet and savory delights.
It was so touching to see Colin turn from a spoiled “invalid” to a regular, rambunctious boy with a little tough love from Mary and encouragement from Dickon. Have you ever had to use either approach on someone to help him or her fulfill untapped potential?
The ending of The Secret Garden offers fairly quick redemption to Mr. Craven for his misguided and downright cruel treatment of his son. Given the choice, would you choose this happy ending over a more realistic one? Which character do you think changes most over the course of the storyline?
As we close our discussion of The Secret Garden, what is your most memorable scene or quote? Why does it stand out to you? If you read the novel as a child, tell us about revisiting this tale with the Victoria Classics Book Club.
Find Victoria Classics Book Club resources—including discussion questions, companion materials, and a reader forum—at Victorimag.com!