A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Published: 1905
Genres: Childrens, Classic
Format: eBook (242 pages)
Source: Purchased
Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this resourceful girl's fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children's literature.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s way of writing, even in the author’s note, has a whimsical, magical child-like tone to it that is very endearing. And like a child, the author can also be bluntly honest which made me laugh.
I loved reading about Sarah and the teacher that is jealous of her. In all honesty, the imaginative and optimistic Sarah was a much better teacher to the girls at the school. The teacher and other adults in the story seemed to delight in other’s misfortunes while Sarah felt deep empathy towards them and tried her best to help them. I loved Sarah’s imagination and her ability to use it to bring happiness to her and others around her no matter how bad things in their life were. Sarah had a beautiful ability to see things from someone else’s view. She even befriends a rat. I couldn’t help thinking that even though Sarah is just a child, I would like to be as kind, loving, and happy and she is.
When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage, and they are not, and they say stupid things they wish they hadn’t said afterward. There’s nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in— that’s stronger.
– Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess (p. 94).
A Little Princess was one of my favorite movies as a kid and although the movie was different than the book it was based on, it still had the great characters and imagination that I loved in the movie. The movie amped up the conflict and made it a little more sad than the book, but if you liked the movie you will definitely like the book.
Overall, it’s a beautifully written classic about the power of imagination.
Content Rating: None. Clean read.
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About Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Eliza Hodgson was the daughter of ironmonger Edwin Hodgson, who died three years after her birth, and his wife Eliza Boond. She was educated at The Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Gentleman until the age of fifteen, at which point the family ironmongery, then being run by her mother, failed, and the family emigrated to Knoxville, Tennessee. Here Hodgson began to write, in order to supplement the family income, assuming full responsibility for the family upon the death of her mother, in 1870. In 1872 she married Dr. Swan Burnett, with whom she had two sons, Lionel and Vivian. The marriage was dissolved in 1898, and Burnett was briefly remarried, to actor Stephen Townsend. That marriage too, ended in divorce. Following her great success as a novelist, playwright, and children's author, Burnett maintained homes in both England and America, traveling back and forth quite frequently. She died in her Long Island, New York home, in 1924.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
I really need to read A Little Princess. I love The Secret Garden. I’m so glad to hear how much you loved this one.