Burnett, Frances Hodgson. 1905 (according to Wikipedia). A Little Princess.
Though it is a tad heavy when it comes to descriptions--just a tad--I found myself thoroughly charmed by the life and adventures of Sara Crewe. Sara, the daughter of a wealthy man, is placed in school--boarding school, I think, where she is cared for rather well. She has everything a girl could want--friends who love to hear her tell stories, a faithful doll named Emily, etc. But when tragedy strikes, little Sara's world changes overnight. During her birthday party, news comes in that her father is dead; he's died and he's without fortune. Sara goes from nice-but-rich girl to nice-but-poor girl. Sara was never a spoiled brat. What changes is all on the outside--no more nice clothes, no nice room, no nice bed with fluffy pillows and blankets, no maid, no horse and carriage, no more lessons. Now she's the maid-and-servant of all. Even the servants use her as a servant and look down upon her. But despite the harshness of her environment, little Sara is a gem of a girl.
It's a classic riches-to-rags-to-riches story. Sara and her friends make for nice companions. I'm glad I gave this one a try. I enjoyed it!
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
5 comments:
The movie version of this book was a staple for me as a little girl! Thanks for reminding me of one of my favorites! I've never read the book, but am adding it to my list now!
Hi Becky, What I rembember most about this book was that Sara was never vindictive. Even in her suffering she found a way to be kind to others. I loved the scene where she gave her bread to a beggar girl. I was reading aloud to my sons and they kept saying, "Why are you crying, Mommy?" Great memory!
Thanks for posting your review, it was great. I've been wanting to read this book for some time and hoped to before the end of the year, we'll see. I always enjoyed the Shirley Temple movie version and I love love love The Secret Garden, so I'm sure I'll enjoy this book.
I remember liking this book although the details are a little fuzzy. Thanks for the review!
I've never read the book but I loved the Shirley Temple movie when I was growing up. I'd watch it at least once every year. Great review!
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