Review: A Bit of Earth

By Karuna Riazi

New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. 356 pages.

In this retelling of The Secret Garden, Maria Latif is left in Long Island with the family of a friend of her late parents. She is just as prickly and frustrated by her circumstances as the original Mary. Maria came from Pakistan (and other places as she was shipped around to different family and friends after her parents died) and misses things about her parents and where she grew up. When Maria discovers a locked-up garden in the back of the estate, she wants to start gardening to bring it back to life. With an updated location, modern amenities (there are cell phones and online schooling,) as well as the great addition of Pakistani culture, this is sure to please many young readers.

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