Grade 5-8– A first-rate biography. During her life, Burnett was a celebrity of some notoriety. She traveled extensively in Europe while keeping her many homes in the United States, and her circle of friends and acquaintances included the rich and famous of Victorian times. Fame and fortune came to her as a writer of potboilers and formula romance fiction, while today’s world remembers her as the author of classic children’s books. Divorcing her husband and the father of her two sons, Burnett married her business manager; she also separated from him. The writing is intelligent and honest in detailing all facets of this amazing life. Adding authenticity are historic, never-before-published photographs; quotes from letters, newspaper reports, and interviews; and passages and illustrations from her books. Both primary and secondary sources are cited. Reading like a good novel, this is a celebration of who Frances Hodgson Burnett was and what made her so. Her garden continues to grow–she would have been pleased! –Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.