A Seabury Hall 6th-grader wrote a letter to the late author of "The Secret Garden," telling the English-American writer how her story of an orphaned girl, her sickly cousin and a healing plot of ground taught her how to be a better person.
Amber Dombroski's correspondence to Frances Hodgson Burnett, who wrote "The Secret Garden" in the early 1900s, captured first place in the grades-4-to-6 level in the Hawaii Center for the Book sixth annual Letters About Literature Essay Contest.
The 12-year-old from Kihei traveled to Honolulu last weekend to receive her award in the contest that asked young readers to write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her book affected their perception of life.
For winning her age bracket, Amber received $100 and a $50 Target gift card, and her letter/essay advanced to a national competition.
Amber follows in the footsteps of Sarah Jenkins of Aka'ula School in Kaunakakai, who won the same age level in the contest last year and an honorable mention at last year's national competition. Sarah had written her letter to author Mildred D. Taylor about "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry."
Another Molokai youth - Kanani Ah Van, a 4th-grader at Kaunakakai School - grabbed an honorable mention in the grades-4-to-6 division. Kanani, who was unable to attend the April 25 awards assembly, wrote an essay to Linda Fang, author of "The Ch'i-Lin Purse," and received a $50 cash prize and a drawstring book bag.
The other first-place winners were Andrew Chang, an Oahu 7th-grader who wrote to Madeleine L'Engle, author of "A Wrinkle in Time," and Lian Bossert, an Oahu 9th-grader who wrote to John Hersey, who penned "Hiroshima." There were more than 650 entries statewide in the contest this year.
"The Secret Garden" was published in 1911 and revolves around Mary Lennox, whose parents died in India during a cholera epidemic. She returns to England and is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, in Misselthwaite Manor.
Craven is a sullen character, unable to get over the death of his wife a decade earlier. It's his wife who created the secret garden, which Mr. Craven had locked up and hid the key because it was a painful reminder. A determined Mary finds her way into the garden.
One night, Mary meets Colin Craven, her cousin. The bedridden boy does not have much interaction with his father, who stays away because the boy reminds him of his wife. Mary gets Colin to visit the garden.
The story has a happy ending with Colin overcoming his illness and Mr. Craven his grief - in the "secret garden."
Amber said the book by Burnett, an English-American playwright and author who lived from 1829 to 1924, has remained etched in her memory since reading it as a 9-year-old.
"This one I remembered the most," she said in explaining why she selected the book and Burnett. "It touched me the most. It had a lot of detail. I could see and feel the story."
She recalled a garden of strawberries and flowers that her family had in Jackson Hole, Wyo., before they moved to Maui. They have a garden at their Kihei home, too, she said.
"I told her (Burnett) that her book touched my life, and she taught me how to be a better person to other people and how to be more open and understanding," said Amber, who said that she loves to read.
Her favorite books are mysteries and adventures. She said she prefers books that end, like "The Secret Garden," happily.
"They don't have to, but it makes it better," said Amber.
Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.
