A Little Princess

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

While listening to the audiobook, I couldn't help but hearing Patrick Doyle's soundtrack to the 1995 movie. It seemed to do a great job capturing the emotions in this tear-jerker. In the book, Sara's has her move from India to boarding school in England. He spares no expenses from his vast fortune for her. She also has a smart intellect, kind heart and a great imagination, making her popular with the other students. Alas, one day his solicitor arrives to tell the headmistress that the father has died and lost his entire fortune in a failed diamond mine. She is now reduced to being a servant girl.

She accepts her fate and works hard. She still tries to keep her dignity and manners. She observes the families nearby. One day a little boy gives her a coin, thinking she is a beggar girl. She wanted to return it, but accepted it because she knew it meant a lot for him. Another day, she found a coin on the ground near a bakery. When the baker said she could keep it, she bought buns - and gave most of them to a beggar child that was worse off than her.

In addition to running errands, she would continue to work at the school. She would officially help younger girls with their lessons. Unofficially, she would help friends and tell stories. She also got along well with the servant girl.

Some people from India move next door. She is able to communicate with the native Indian servant in his language when his monkey escapes. He later secretly returns the favor by making things better for her in her servants quarter. Later we learn that the person that moved in next door was her father's friend. His diamond business had succeeded magnificently, but not after giving him health problems. This neighbor had heard that his friend's daughter was at a boarding school and was eager to find her so that he could give her half the fortune. He was looking in France and Russia, not knowing that she lived next door. They finally do connect when Sara returns the monkey (again). Sara is now able to leave the boarding school and assume her great wealth. Some of her first actions are to hire the fellow servant away from the boarding school and to give money to the baker to feed any child-beggars that ask. (And her she finds that the first child she helped is now employed by the school.)

The book is a riches-to-rags-to-riches story with plenty of tear-jerker moments. A person's character can be shown with how they deal with different circumstances. Despite being destitute, she continued to work hard to help others. However, even with optimism, there is still a limit to how much pain can be endured.