A Little Princess
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Summary
Captain Crewe is very wealthy and says that Sara is destined for a lavish, comfortable future. Though pampered all her life in India, Sara herself is intelligent, polite, and creative. Headmistress Miss Minchin is secretly jealous and dislikes Sara for her cleverness, but openly praises and flatters her because of her father's wealth. Before departing for India, Captain Crewe buys Sara an elegant wardrobe and a doll whom Sara adores and names "Emily." Sara's friendliness and her love of pretending and storytelling make her popular with most of the students at the school.
Editor's review
A Little Princess is often shelved as children's literature, yet it is no sweet fairy tale written only for the young. Burnett thrusts Sara from a pampered life of wealth to the bottom of boarding-school existence, letting readers see how snobbery, coldness and class distinctions change face with the rise and fall of fortune; what truly sustains Sara is not luck but her education, her kindness to others and an imagination that refuses self-contempt. The book's most moving quality is that it does not write "princess" as a title but as a standard one sets for oneself: to keep decency, compassion and dignity even in deprivation. The narrative carries the sentimental tinge of Victorian children's fiction, but the relationships are clear and the conflict is concentrated on school life and the father-daughter bond, making it a smooth read. It suits talking with children about money, friendship and character, and suits adult readers revisiting how they understand "nobility."
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Parents and teachers who want to discuss wealth, friendship and dignity with children
- Readers who enjoy school coming-of-age stories and sensitive portrayals of a girl's inner life
- Those looking for a classic of moderate length with strong emotion
- Readers interested in Victorian children's literature and issues of class
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer fast-paced adventure and lack patience for school routine and emotional buildup
- Adult readers averse to sentimentality who want stark social critique
- Seasoned novel readers who need complex narrative structure or multiple viewpoints
Reading tips
- Read in sections following changes in Sara's circumstances, and observe whether her attitude toward the same people shifts
- Compare Miss Minchin's words and deeds with Sara's, noting how the author uses detail to depict snobbery and self-respect
- When reading with children, discuss whether "princess" is an identity or a code of conduct
- After finishing, revisit the ending's twist and consider why the author rewards goodness with coincidence
Contents
- Copyright information
- 1 Sara
- 2 A French Lesson
- 3 Ermengarde
- 4 Lottie
- 5 Becky
- 6 The Diamond Mines
- 7 The Diamond Mines Again
- 8 In the Attic
- 9 Melchisedec
- 10 The Indian Gentleman
- 11 Ram Dass
- 12 The Other Side of the Wall
- 13 One of the Populace
- 14 What Melchisedec Heard and Saw
- 15 The Magic
- 16 The Visitor
- 17 "It Is the Child!"
- 18 "I Tried Not to Be"
- 19 Anne
FAQ
What age of child is A Little Princess suitable for?
It depends on the edition and the child's reading experience. Full Chinese translations are generally suitable from the upper primary grades onward; the original English vocabulary and sentence patterns are not simple and suit teenagers with some foundation. For shared reading, start with an abridged or annotated edition, then move on to the full text.
What quality in Sara is most moving?
She understands "princess" as a demand on herself: even after losing wealth and status, she is neither mean nor self-abandoning, still treating others with courtesy, imagination and compassion. This quality preserves her dignity in adversity and sets her in sharp contrast to the snobbish world around her.
Is the book too sad?
It does contain sad passages—cold treatment at the boarding school, father-daughter separation and sudden reversals of fortune—but the overall tone retains warmth and hope, and the ending turns bright. For sensitive children, parents can explain the story's turns in advance and discuss why the characters act as they do during shared reading.
Do I need to know Victorian background before reading the original?
Not systematically, but some background helps in understanding the characters: Britain at the time valued respectability, class and girls' education, and boarding schools often judged students by family background. With these clues, Miss Minchin's snobbery and Sara's situation become clearer.
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About the author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Author
Frances Hodgson Burnett is a widely beloved author in the history of English children's literature. Details of her life and nationality are not recorded in the available materials, and public information is limited. The library holds eight of her works, most notably The Secret Garden, which appears in three versions and sequels, along with A Little Princess, The Land of the Blue Flower, Racketty-Packetty House and T. Tembarom. Her writing centers on children's growth, imagination and inner transformation, using gardens, estates and family upheaval to carry themes of hope and warmth. Her prose is graceful and vivid, and her books are often classed as foreign literature and inspirational coming-of-age reading. The Secret Garden and A Little Princess have long been adapted for film, television and the stage, leaving a lasting influence on later children's literature.
