Book Review- A Little Princess by Frances Burnett
A little Princess by Frances Burnett is about Sara Crew, who is always determined to see the bright side of life. Even after being sent to a strict boarding school, Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, far away from her beloved father. But when tragedy strikes, she is left at the mercy of the wicked headmistress, Miss Minchin, without a penny left. After she is cast aside and forced to work as a simple maid to pay her father’s debt, will she still be able to see the bright side of life? Or can young Sara somehow shape back together with her broken and small family? Can Sara still behave like a little princess while facing poverty and hunger?
Summary
Sara Crewe is a very young girl who is left at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies I Victorian England while her father works in India. She is determined to keep a smiling face even when she is miles away from her beloved father and only relative. However, when hosting Sara’s lavish birthday party which her father pampered her with, miss Minchin receives the new that Captain Crewe is dead and died pennilessly.
Being the cruel and merciless person, she is, she dismisses Sara and makes her work as a maid instead. Even when Sara is put into a cold attic without any comforts, forced to do work and is denied a proper education; she is kind to everyone, even those who treat her unfairly. Her only friend now is Becky, the other maid, and together they keep each other’s spirits high. One day Sara finds out that a monkey has entered her room from the Attic window, from the adjoining house next door.
When she climbs over the roof to return it, she meets Ram Dass who is the Indian servant of Mr Carrisford. Mr Carrisford was the former business partner of her father, Captain Crewe. Both of them had been convinced to spend money on diamond mines excavation project, however, when nothing was found, both turned to losses. However, Sara doesn’t know any of this and soon they become close friends. Will Sara ever get her side of the Diamond fortune if there is any, or will she ever get a real family. Until then she must continue trying her best to be a little princess…
Review
A little Princess is yet another amazing and beautiful classic from Frances Burnett. This story has one main message, be kind, respectful and never lose hope. S
ara Crewe is one of the most determined young heroines I have ever read about. Although modern generations would usually describe a feministic character to be a girl who doesn’t play with dolls, work as a maid or pampered with frocks, I think Sara is a good example for young girls everywhere.
Although she was faced with poverty and hunger, she was still kind to everyone around, including miss Minchin, who I think is the coldest character I have ever read about. Sara is like Cinderella but without a fairy godmother. This book has so many diverse characters and an altogether good plot that holds it all together, there is both happiness, empathy and loss.
“Everything’s a story – You are a story -I am a story.”
-Sara Crewe
Sara loves to make stories, she loves telling other people stories, she likes living more than one life. I felt that stories are her coping mechanism; they help her get away from her sorrows and at the same time they help others do that too. This storybook is best suited or children between the ages of 9 and above; classics are timeless, for everybody to read.
This book is a fiction, classic and children’s genre. Great for both primary school and secondary school. Sara makes the best of any situation, I think that although she doesn’t rebel against the headmistress, she is a great and inspiring figure for younger girls.
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnette was an English-American author and playwright who was best known for writing children’s book. Her top three children’s books were A little Princess, Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden. She was born in Manchester, Cheetham, England. She had settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
Overall, I give A Little Princess by Frances Burnett, a five out of five for a beautiful story which lightens many childhoods.