Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was a British-American novelist and playwright renowned for her children's literature. She is best known for Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.
The third of five children, Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. Her father, Edwin Hodgson, an ironmonger, and mother, Eliza Boond, came from Yorkshire and Manchester, respectively. Her father died in 1853, plunging the family into financial hardship. They moved several times within Manchester, finally emigrating to the United States in 1865, settling near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Frances began writing in Tennessee to support her family. Her first story was published in 1868 in Godey's Lady's Book. She married Swan Burnett in 1873 and had two sons.
Burnett's first novel, That Lass o' Lowrie's, was published in 1877, receiving good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy, published in 1886, established her reputation as a children's author. Her other notable works include A Little Princess (1905) and The Secret Garden (1911). Burnett was also involved in stage adaptations of her works.
The Secret Garden, published in 1911, is one of Burnett's most famous novels. It tells the story of Mary Lennox, a neglected child who discovers a hidden garden. The garden's restoration parallels the rejuvenation of Mary and her cousin Colin. The novel explores themes of healing and the transformative power of nature.
The Secret Garden has been adapted into several films, including versions in 1919, 1949, 1993, and 2020.
Frances Hodgson Burnett lived in England and the United States, eventually settling in Nassau County, New York, where she died on 29 October 1924.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture in her honor was installed in Central Park, New York.
