The Secret Garden · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

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Chapter 1
There Is No One Left
Mary Lennox, a sickly and disagreeable child born in India to neglectful parents, is orphaned by a cholera outbreak. After being forgotten in the nursery during the chaos, she is discovered alone and learns that both her parents have died. She is subsequently sent to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor.
Chapter 2
Mistress Mary Quite Contrary
Mary Lennox, having survived the cholera outbreak that killed her parents, is sent to England to live with her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven. During her journey, she learns about her uncle's reclusive nature and the mysterious Misselthwaite Manor from the housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. Mary reflects on her lonely childhood and her lack of belonging, even as she resists the kindness of others.
Chapter 3
Across the Moor
Mary Lennox travels by train and carriage across the Yorkshire moors to Misselthwaite Manor. She experiences the bleak, wild landscape and arrives at the vast, gloomy house where she is told she must stay in her rooms and not disturb her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven.
Chapter 4
Martha
Mary Lennox awakens at Misselthwaite Manor and meets Martha, the young housemaid. Martha's frank, good-natured manner contrasts sharply with the servile Indian servants Mary is accustomed to. Martha talks about the moor, her large family, and her brother Dickon, sparking Mary's first faint interest in others. Mary also meets Ben Weatherstaff, the gruff gardener, and a robin that seems to take a liking to her, prompting her to acknowledge her own loneliness.
Chapter 5
The Cry in the Corridor
Mary Lennox begins to adapt to life at Misselthwaite Manor, spending most of her time outdoors and experiencing improved health and appetite. She encounters the robin, who leads her to the wall of the secret garden, and learns from Martha the tragic story of Mrs. Craven's death. That evening, Mary hears a mysterious crying sound inside the house, which Martha tries to dismiss as the wind.

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There Is No One Left

Mistress Mary Quite Contrary

Across the Moor

Martha

The Cry in the Corridor