Sunday 9 October 2011

A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett

ISBN: 0140366881

This is one of my all-time favourite books. It is mostly set in a boarding school, which bodes well to start with, and it has the word 'princess' in the title, and yet it is so much more than a heart-warming children's tale. But warm the heart, it certainly does.

Sara is a little girl, left in a boarding school under the tutelage of strict Miss Minchin, after her rich upbringing in India. Things naturally turn for the worst, but even in the most tragic of circumstances, Sara shows an immense resolve to be optimistic. It is her beautiful imagination that saves her.

This is a novel that I grew up with and it inspired me to not become dragged down by circumstances; things could always be worse. This book is powerful. Burnett's characters are charming and their sparkling interactions leap from the page like confetti. Sara's stories, in particular, bring light.

If anybody has dampened spirits, let them read this book, for they will be cheered.

Rating: 9/10

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