December’s Cozy Magical Book Club Pick
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Hi Cozy Readers,
As we prepare to wrap up the year, I’m so excited to announce our December pick for the Cozy Magical Book Club: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
This children’s classic was one of my favorite books as a kid. When I reread it a couple years ago, I experienced a new appreciation for its quiet magic. Though it’s not a traditional fantasy, magic weaves its way through the story—not the wand-waving kind, but the kind found in the healing power of nature, connection, and transformation. As Burnett wrote:
"Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us."
The story follows Mary Lennox, a lonely and irritable girl, who discovers a hidden, overgrown garden while living at her uncle’s gloomy manor on the Yorkshire moors. As she tends to the garden, it begins to bloom—and so does Mary, alongside the lives of those around her.
Inspired by the gothic novels of the Brontë sisters, The Secret Garden brings a mix of haunting atmosphere, personal transformation, and the gentle, enchanting rebirth of nature. It’s a cozy, magical choice for the darker days of December.
Our discussion will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, December 17, at 5:30 PM Pacific Time. I’ll send out the Zoom link an hour before we meet. All Sleuth Hero Alien subscribers are welcome to join!
Have you read this one before? I can’t wait to hear your childhood impressions of this classic—or to hear what you think if it’s your first time reading it. 🌱✨
Happy reading,
Emma
P.S. It’s important to note that the book reflects the colonial racism of its time, particularly in Mary’s life in India and her relationships with the servants. It also portrays disability through an early 20th-century lens. While we’ll discuss its beauty and magic, we also welcome a critical lens on these aspects.