The book tells the story of Mary Lennox, a spoiled, contrary orphan, who is sent to live in her uncle's manor in Yorkshire. She is left to herself by her uncle, Mr. Craven, who travels trying to escape from being haunted by the death of his wife, and the only one who has any time for her is the chambermaid Martha. It is Martha who tells Mary about the walled garden, Mrs. Craven's favourite garden, which nobody has seen the inside of since she died; Mr. Craven locked it and buried the key.

Exploring the grounds, Mary discovers the key to the secret garden, which has been turned up by a robin digging for worms, then the door. When she is inside the garden, she discovers that although the roses seem lifeless some of the other flowers have survived; she decides to work on the garden herself, but to keep it a secret, in case her uncle should find out and fit another lock for it. Through Martha, she recruits the assistance of Martha's brother Dickon, who is known for being good with plants and wild animals.....

This is a great classic and the book is brought to life with a fantastic narration on 7 audio CDs