A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett > Reviews > Because Every Little Girl is a Princess

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Yes
Story	Good
Characters	Outstanding
Listenability	Pretty compelling but not addictive

Advantages:	moving story about girlish dreams and enduring hope and love
Disadvantages:	sensitive children may be upset by Sara's personal tragedy

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is a love story. Not a romance, but a real love story. It is the tale of a child much beloved by her widowed soldier father, her adoration of him, and the love she has for her true friends. It is the sort of love that does not need riches, nor glory, nor feasts, and that can sustain through adversity. And sustain it does in this tale of woe, sorrow, and ultimate happiness.

Little Sara Crewe is the daughter of a widowed English Army officer who has raised his young daughter in the pampered and then colonial setting of Victorian India. Being sent on to the war in the Crimea, he brings his young daughter to England, where he enrols her at Miss Minchin's boarding school for privileged young ladies. Miss Minchin is one of those souls who clings to the ideals of propriety, merely for the sake of being "accepted", in a vicious Hyacinth Bucket sort of way. Suavely genteel to the parents, she indulges their whims in regard to extravagances for their little darlings in order to keep the vast sums of cash flowing, and discarding any to the side who fail to meet her monetary standards, both for paying the bills and as the standard to hold them in their class position. For this woman is all too class conscious, and sees money as the thing to elevate one's social standing. This is evident in the way she treats her staff, especially the very young scullery maid who befriends young Sara.

Young Sara is pampered beyond her wildest dreams while her father is away, that is, until he is reported killed, and Miss Minchin is told he apparently has no money left in his estate. Having just splashed out on young Sara's birthday party, she takes revenge, though of course she sees it as "restitution" and "doing her Christian duty". She takes ALL of Sara's possessions, and moves her into the rat infested and draughty garret demoted to serve as a scullery maid. Through all of this, Sara remains unbowed, and lives with pride, sharing with her friend Becky (the other scullery maid she shares the garret with), how to have dignity and find comfort in the world of pretend where they have warmth, fine clothes, and food to eat. They do not go unnoticed by the Indian servant next door, who along with his employer takes a secret interest in the two remarkable young ladies, and who enables the story to draw to a close with a remarkable ending that reunites Sara with her beloved father.

This was a book that spoke volumes to me as a child. I too was the child of a soldier, and he often had to be away, or we had to move. Like Sara, I was his princess and it was often that bond between father and daughter that allowed me to hold my head high, or to spur me on to do better. It was also a story that taught me much about hope, for Sara never doubted that her father was not dead, for she could feel him still. It is sentimental, in the way that such stories are. The sentimentality however does not detract from it. It is a book about sentiment, those of love and hope and dignity, and so the sentimental tone actually serves a purpose.

Written for ages 7 and up, it is mainly aimed at girls, and there is not really much here to catch the attention of the male reader. The other school girls can be catty, the princess theme and the imaginary tea parties are not likely to excite, and the sugary tone will no doubt finish off any remote interest your average boy might have had at the thought of reading this book. Having said that, all of these things are quite likely to appeal to girls, as they thrill with Sara over her new party, her pretty new dresses, and sympathise with the need for pretend for a tea party without other real guests, tea, or delicacies. They will also readily appreciate the feeling a little princess feels every time Daddy comes through the door with his smile and hug, and so be overjoyed when Sara is reunited.

All in all a fine tale of strength of character and the enduring bond of parent and child love, and one sure to please your own little princess. Amazon currently sell this title from £2.00 and it can be purchased with the other classic by the same author, The Secret Garden, from £4.00.