Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline Aaren Tucker Dimaline, Cherie Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix. Feiwel, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250842657 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250842664 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 6-9 When Mary Craven is orphaned at fifteen, she leaves Toronto to live at her uncle's mansion in the Ontario wilderness. There, the surly, imperious Mary is shocked by the frank and informal manner of her uncle's servants. She's equally surprised to discover she has a cousin, Olive, whom she never knew anything about. Mary's loneliness dissipates as her friendship with Olive and other new companions grows stronger, but their peaceful life is disrupted by the return of Olive's stepmother. Suddenly, Olive's illness worsens, and she is locked in her room again while Mary's adventures with her new friends are curtailed. Having finally found the love she craved, Mary now must learn to fight for those she cares for and uncover her family's buried secrets. Dimaline's adaptation of the classic novel The Secret Garden ages up the protagonist and adds a sinister twist, but it still pays homage to its inspiration. Mary retains the sour, contrary disposition of the original, and Dimaline (Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, BCCB 03/23) preserves the story's roots as Mary learns to be kinder and stronger thanks to the love and friendship of good yet humble people. Dimaline's subtle, absorbing prose will surely draw readers in and introduce a new generation to the story of a lonely young girl finding her place in the world. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois