Faith lessons from literature - The Secret Garden

Writer Danielle Finch reflects on the surprising spiritual wisdom she found in The Secret Garden. Through this much-loved classic, she explores how stories beyond Scripture can still point us toward truth, beauty and God’s transforming work in the world.

As a Christian, I sometimes find myself quite sceptical of gleaning wisdom outside the realms of scripture, and rightly so. We should be both cautious and discerning. Yet, I recently finished reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the very first time, and was overwhelmed by the wisdom that resonates so true for me today over a century since the story was written.

The Secret Garden is a coming-of-age novel set in the early 20th century and follows the story of a sickly, troubled young girl, orphaned in India, who is sent to live with her uncle in the Yorkshire Moors. Upon hearing about a ‘secret garden’ within the grounds of the manor, young Mary Lennox becomes determined to find the hidden garden. Without giving too much away, the main themes of story are around redemption and the transformative, healing power of nature.  As with anything, there are issues that arise that are a product of the novel’s time such as racism and ableism. But I find that even these things can be pondered on and learned from.