A Little Princess

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Sara Crewe is one of the most memorable figures in children’s fiction. Born in India to a wealthy father and sent to boarding school in England, Sara is afforded all the luxuries of a little princess. But when her fortune reverses and her father’s estate is dissolved, the petty and jealous headmistress Miss Minchin banishes Sara to the attic to work as an abused servant. It is the remarkable way which Sara copes—imagining things are not as bad as they seem, and always continuing to treat everyone with kindness—which has made her a role model for many young girls, who also hope to experience her happy ending.