annieb123's Review of Unearthing The Secret Garden: The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett

by Marta McDowell

Marta McDowell returns with a beautiful, gift-worthy account of how plants and gardening deepy inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of the beloved children's classic The Secret Garden. Marta McDowell has revealed the many ways gardening has inspired some of our most cherished authors, including Beatrix Potter, Emily Dickinson, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. In her latest, she does the same with Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the classic children's book The Secret Garden. Unearthing The Secret Garden starts by chronicling Frances Hodgson Burnett's childhood and early life, with a focus on her growing interest in gardens and her development as a writer. McDowell also shares details of three gardens Hodgson Burnett created in Kent, Long Island, and Bermuda. A guide to the plants featured in The Secret Garden will delight gardeners. And in a unique addition, McDowell transcribes Hodgson Burnett's delightful essay, "In the Garden," which was published shortly after her death. AUTHOR: Marta McDowell lives, gardens, and writes in Chatham, New Jersey. She consults for public gardens and private clients, writes and lectures on gardening topics, and teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, where she studied landscape design. Her particular interest is in authors and their gardens, the connection between the pen and the trowel. 150 photographs and illustrations

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Unearthing The Secret Garden is a gently written hybrid biography and period historical garden inspiration written and curated by Marta McDowell. Due out 12th Oct 2021, from Workman Publishing on their Timber Press imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I read The Secret Garden in my childhood and like so many others, it helped to inculcate in me a love of planting seeds, caring for my small garden patch (in my grandparent's garden) and later plants wherever I found myself. This book is a nice homage to both Burnett's life and her own (real life) gardens as well as the other horticultural writing she produced, and some garden inspiration for translation into readers' own green spaces.

The biography follows Burnett's childhood, life in England, subsequent emigration to America, and adulthood - in the words of author McDowell a riches to rags to riches story.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs and facsimile reproductions of illustrations from early editions of The Secret Garden. The photos and facsimiles are captioned and provide insight into Burnett's life, family, and social circles. There are also numerous excerpts from personal correspondence and news and other print media appearances, being one of the most highly paid authors of her time.

Five stars. I found the book engaging, well written, beautifully illustrated and full of both biographical narrative and gardening inspiration.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Unearthing The Secret Garden: The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett

by Marta McDowell

Reviewed by annieb123 on Sep 4, 2021

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