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This book opens with seven-year-old Sara Crewe observing the cold, damp surroundings of London as her father takes her to Miss Minchin's boarding school. Sara's father works in India, and although she has lived there until recently, it wasn't considered a healthy climate for children. Most British children born in India at the start of the 20th century were sent to schools in the UK from a young age. So although it sounds almost barbaric in today's society, it was accepted as the thing to do.
Sara's mother died when she was a baby, so her father has been everything to her. Although she's been given every material thing possible, and could have become extremely spoilt, we soon discover that she's a delightful little girl who adores her father. She's been treated well, and given lots of love, as well as knowing ever since she can remember that one day she would have to leave and go to England. She had seen other children departing, and heard that they were quite happy, so she's determined to bear it and not make a fuss. She and her father are almost heartbroken at having to part when he goes back to India, but they both hide their feelings, each wanting to make the parting a little less painful for the other.
So Sara begins school. Since her father has bought her an extravagant selection of clothes and ornaments, and is very rich, Miss Minchin (a most unpleasant specimen amongst teachers) treats her as a favourite, giving her the best place at table and the head position of any processions of children when they go out. Snobbery abounds, and a lesser child might have let it go to her head. Indeed, some of the previously favoured children are very jealous. But Sara is generous, loving, and humble about her abilities. She befriends a rather overweight girl who's the dunce of the class, treats the scullery maid with kindness, looks after a spoilt four-year-old who also has no mother, and tries to be polite to everyone.
About half way through the book disaster ensues, leaving Sara penniless. The horrible Miss Minchin wants to throw her out on the streets, but is persuaded to keep her so long as she works. So Sara teaches the younger children (although she's only eleven herself by this time), works as an extra kitchen-maid, runs errands, and sleeps in the attic next to the scullery-maid who is one of her few remaining friends.
Essentially, this book is another variation on the 'Cinderella' theme. Riches to rags, and (inevitably) a happy ending. It could be trite, but somehow it isn't. Frances Hodgson Burnett is best known for 'The Secret Garden', but I prefer 'A Little Princess' myself. It claims to be a book for girls of ages eight to twelve, but I would suggest it's a book for anyone of age eight and upwards. As an adult I love to read this book just as much as I did when I was a child; perhaps more. I re-read it this weekend, wanting something I could curl up with to shut out the world for a few hours. Despite knowing what would happen, and despite it being a children's book, I found that three or four times I had tears running down my face - and I'm not an overly emotional person.
Sara is a charming and likeable child, both when she's wealthy and when she has nothing. I did find her many virtues a little overwhelming: as well as her friendliness and generosity she's immensely loyal and totally honest, she's an avid reader, she enjoys learning and does well in all her lessons, and she has a vivid imagination like that of 'Anne of Green Gables' making her a popular story-teller. However she doesn't have an ounce of pride or snobbery, although she carries herself like the princess of the title. She could be unbearable, but somehow she isn't.
The book is very well-written, and really doesn't read like something of 100 years old. Clearly the culture is Victorian, with boarding schools for four-year-olds, and scullery maids, and beggars, but while the language suits the period, I don't find it dated. A fluently reading eight-year-old (boy or girl) would have no problems with this book: one of my sons first read it at that age, and thoroughly enjoyed it. He's re-read it as a teenager, and will probably do so again. Despite its appeal to children, as an adult I didn't find it condescending or simplistic at all.
I think it would work very well as a read-aloud book too; the chapters are short and the characters lively. There's nothing unsuitable for younger children: another author might make Sara's plight morbid or traumatic, but for my tastes exactly the right amount of unpleasantness was described. She becomes cold, she is frequently hungry, and she is often uncomfortable. She gets worn out by all her errands, and is scolded constantly. So she's very unhappy at times. But we never read about her being beaten or abused in any way other than verbally. Unrealistic? Probably. But it works.
I very much enjoyed the way that the ending was written, too. There's a definite element of coincidence in the book, and if this had been introduced suddenly it would have seemed totally unbelievable, leaving a sense of disappointment. However Frances Hodgson Burnett cleverly introduces conversations between other characters which tell us - the readers - what's going to happen in the end, in a way that increases tension as we know something that the characters don't, and wonder how on earth the happy ending is going to happen!
As an adult I can see that the one significant coincidence is actually highly unlikely - but it doesn't matter. From the moment it's introduced until the end, Sara's plight runs alongside further conversations between the other people who are going to be involved in her future. So the ending isn't a surprise, but the way it happens is very satisfying.
Highly recommended to anyone - adult or child - who enjoys this kind of book.
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