I am reading...

Christmas brings us back to childhood memories - or at least it should, according to common belief - so I find it only mildly surprising that I should have picked up a children's book to read at my parents' place during the holiday season. The author, Frances Burnett, and her book, The Secret Garden, would be well-known to English natives, but to anyone having received a different education, both names sound new and like a welcoming invitation to explore new grounds. Like most children's books, this one brings teachings for adults, as long as we take the extra step to look for clues that will undoubtedly enlighten our path. Don't we all wish to have a personal, intimate space where our feelings, memories and experiences could run free? A place where we could learn more about ourselves and the others - a place to grow? Little Mary is the main character who, thanks to a new outdoor life and to the discovery of nature's ways will be faced with unexpected developments and will start blooming, showing new colors and sprouting bravely through the barren grounds of a cruel childhood. I find it quite interesting that when it first came out, the book was shunned by critics and readers alike: at the time (1909), running free and poking one's nose into the mysteries of nature were definitely not the proper educational standards of the British society. Additionally, it is also noteworthy that a book that underlines nature's role in our lives and pays tribute to its beauty through almost every page should be printed in 100% recycled paper (Penguing Classics).

All in all, this is a contemporary book!