The story in one page
Mary Lennox, a sour, orphaned child sent from India to the isolated Misselthwaite Manor, finds her only entertainment in the vast Yorkshire moor. A robin leads her to a buried key, which opens a garden door hidden behind ivy and left untouched for ten years. She recruits Dickon, a local boy who charms animals, and her bedridden cousin Colin to help revive the long-dormant plot. As the trio clears the weeds and plants bulbs, the physical labor and fresh air force a shift in their sour dispositions. Colin, convinced he is a doomed hunchback, finds his strength, eventually casting aside his wheelchair to walk across the lawn as his father returns, startling the household staff in the process.
Who's who
- Mary Lennox
An orphaned, sour girl who discovers a hidden, neglected world.
- Colin Craven
A sickly, pampered boy who believes he is destined to die.
- Dickon
A Yorkshire local with a peculiar talent for befriending wild animals.
- Archibald Craven
The gloomy, distant master of the manor grieving his lost wife.
- Ben Weatherstaff
A crusty gardener who knows more than he lets on.
What it's really about
- Revival
- Neglected things return to vigorous life.
- Perspective
- Health depends on looking outward, not inward.
Why it's memorable
- A robin wearing a tiny red waistcoat acting like a haughty, feathered aristocrat.
- A hidden garden gate buried under ten years of choking, climbing ivy.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The long-absent Archibald Craven returns home to find his son, Colin, walking across the lawn rather than dying in his wheelchair, effectively ending the household's decade of mourning.
For your book club
- Is the 'Magic' in the garden actually supernatural or just basic vitamin D?
- Why does everyone in the manor immediately believe Colin is a ghost?