A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett – Book Review

Category: Books and Music

alittleprincessI am the type of girl that was raised on Princesses- first Disney movies, then any fairytale, or fairytale spinoff I can get my hands on. I totally envied Kate Middleton as she became a princess and realized my daydreams. So when I found a book called “A Little Princess”, I was immediately intrigued. It’s by a wonderful author named Francis Hodgsen Burnett and I became instantly obsessed (to the point that I read it annually as part of my summer reading ceremony).

 

The protagonist, Sara, is a “queer girl” whose father, a rich, doting parent enrolls her in Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Girls. Sara instantly becomes a fascination of the younger girls who call her Mama Sara, and the object of the older girls’ jealousy. She is even referred to as “A Little Princess” by the worshipful girls in the school.

 

Then one day she finds herself the victim of the most misfortunate circumstances and all of a sudden it is up to her to make sure that she is still a little princess when the pretty dresses and fine things are gone. The best quote in this whole book is, “‘If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.’”

 

This touching story also boasts amazingly descriptive writing, the character development worthy of the greats, and a coming of age story unrivaled in one novel. This is a beautiful story of a girl who loses everything to find herself.

 

About the Author

Becka Olsen is a 15-year old student and a book lover to the max. She loves Regency Romances and anything by J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull as well as Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and other classic authors. Becka brings a unique perception for our young adult readers as well as parents looking to find a book for their children.