This is a beautiful devotional. The illustrations more than anything took me back to the story of The Secret Garden. However, I was surprised that were more biblical quotes than quotes from the novel. Lots of summaries but only one quote per three biblical ones. It was more like a traditional devotional than I expected.

As a gardener, I was immediately attracted to “The Secret Garden Devotional” by Rachel Dodge. What a joy to open the pages and discover beautiful art inside. The drawings are worthy of a collector’s bookshelf. The words on each daily page are wonderfully written. I especially like the connection between the original Secret Garden and this modern devotional. Very impressive and likable!

There are 30 devotional stories in this book. These stories connect with chapters in The Secret Garden book. I especially like how the author lists the book chapters alongside her devotions.  This book is filled with Bible verses, personal application, and prayer. The artwork is fabulous!

This is a perfect gift for a gardener (like me). My coffee table at home is stacked with garden books. My daily planner is garden-themed and green. I’ll read this book daily while sipping some herbal tea. This book is so amazing, I’ll probably give a few copies to my family and friends, along with a live plant. 

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and purchased a printed copy for my library.

The Secret Garden Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion by Rachel Dodge examines faith and spiritual learning through the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett novel. By going chapter by chapter, Dodge offers a sweet devotional that embraces the novel and uses it as a guide.

Over the course of 30 days, Dodge examines each chapter of the classic novel, citing famous scenes and illustrating the faith and love of God that shows giving examples of ways to implement the lessons in daily life. She also includes a prayer that can be personalized for each day.

I loved that Dodge included illustrations as she did in her previous two devotionals that focused on Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. I also loved that the book focused on the spirtual growth of Mary as she learns to bloom in love along with her beloved garden.

While it seems as if the book is geared towards more towards the young adult market, lovers of all ages can relate to the stories being told and the lessons Dodge presents. I look forward to more devotionals by Dodge in the future.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

I really enjoyed this devotional that I got for my honest review. I read the Secret Garden (which I read for the first time with it). I love how they brought out spiritual truths and wanted to draw you closer to God with each chapter. I great companion to the the Secret Garden book! Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I recommend reading it with the Secret Garden.

Do you remember the first time you read The Secret Garden? I was about nine, I believe, and I can still recall the spine-tingling spookiness of Misselthwaite Manor, the delight in meeting Martha and Dickon and the wonderfully irascible Ben Weatherstaff, the wonder at Mary's discovery of the garden and passion for growing beautiful things. Even though Mary was quite horrid by all accounts, I was rooting for her from the start--perhaps because when I was nine, I was rather horrid by all accounts, too.

I knew then that I loved the book. Re-reading it as an adult, I realized just how much it had impacted me. Is it really Mrs. Sowerby's advice that my children hear whenever I tell them to go outside if they're sick or grumpy? Did Mary and Colin's encounter with "The Magic" influence the way I'm always on the lookout for the wonder in God's creation? Did Mary's transformation from sour and unlikable to strong and comforting impact my ability to think I could change, too?

I'll never really know all these answers. Obviously I was formed by many things in life, and even if I was just counting books you'd definitely have to throw several L. M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott titles onto the pile. I do know, however, that The Secret Garden changes me for the better every time I read it, and brings me closer to God as well.

This last re-read of Burnett's classic was made even more meaningful by the addition of guided meditations by Rachel Dodge, in her lovely The Secret Garden Devotional. She breaks the book down chapter by chapter and explores the various themes raised by the author, connecting them with our own lives and relationship with God. She points out so many details I would have missed otherwise, using quotations from the story and selections from scripture to guide your experience of The Secret Garden and turn it from mere pleasure reading to a further encounter with the Divine.

And I can't forget to add that the illustrations by Anastasia Nesterova are absolutely adorable. I want an edition of The Secret Garden itself illustrated by her!

This would make a lovely gift for an older middle grade reader, a teen, or any adult who loves this beautiful story.

Very Inspirational

Rachel Dodge presents such a wonderful story involving Mary Lennox’s search for a way into the secret garden in comparison to our constant aim to walk with God. It is such a beautiful story with scripture to substantiate the similarities of Mary’s quest to enter the secret garden as to our road to seek God.

The daily devotionals are so inspiring, for each day there is a different topic, with a personal application, a pertinent prayer, and scripture to enforce it.

This is a great book to share with your young children, while teaching them about God. Highly recommend it for families or anyone wanting to read such a touching story, while growing to to God through the devotions.

Since I was a little girl, I have loved Frances Hodgson Burnett's THE SECRET GARDEN. The tale of transformation of Mary Lennox and her cousin Colin Craven captured my imagination and never let go.

Rachel Dodge's beautiful devotional revolving around this childhood favorite has added layers of meaning to my understanding of the book. I was first introduced to Rachel's work through her THE ANNE OF GREEN GABLES DEVOTIONAL. It quickly became a spiritual favorite, enabling me to connect treasured passages from L.M. Montgomery's classic to my own faith journey.

In the same way, in her new book Rachel Dodge helps her readers make the connection between the life of the spirit and new life growing in the garden and in the souls of the beloved characters in THE SECRET GARDEN. Through reflections related to each chapter of the children's classic, the reader gets the chance to ponder spiritual growth as an individual and in a faith community. The author always includes scriptural passages that also relate to the characters' journeys, as well as prayers that connect the reader as well.

I felt edified by Rachel Dodge's insightful reflections. I would highly recommend this devotional to anyone looking for a way to grow your faith and help others to grow theirs as well. Look for it when it comes out in December. I'm grateful to NetGalley, to Rachel Dodge and to Barbour Books for the opportunity to read an early copy of this amazing book.

The Secret Garden Devotional
A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion to the Beloved Classic
by Rachel Dodge
Pub Date 01 Nov 2022
Barbour Publishing, Barbour Books
Christian | Literary Fiction



I am reviewing a copy of The Secret Garden Devotional through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:



If you are a fan of The Secret Garden, you are going to love this beautiful devotional, full of excellent illustrations and applications as well as prayers.


Each reading corresponds with a chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s guiding hand in your life as you are becoming His new creation. With themes of growth, spiritual nourishment, God's love and care, and His transforming power, this beautiful chapter-by-chapter devotional includes original artwork throughout. Each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, and prayers perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection.


I give The Secret Garden Devotional five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

If you are a Secret Garden fan you will love this devotional. I really enjoyed each one, they gave me such peace. I now need to check out this authors other devotions based on literary works.

I'm a big fan of the classics, and I love how Rachel Dodge has crafted these wonderful devotional studies as companions to them. I loved her Little Women devotional when I read it last year, and when I heard she had a new one coming out that was based on The Secret Garden, I knew I needed to give it a try.

This was such a lovely book, that had the duel purpose of using the passages from the beloved story to illustrate faith and Jesus' love for us, and also, to deeper examine the meaning behind one of the world's most beloved stories of all time.

I've loved The Secret Garden ever since I was a child, and I'm honestly blown away by how flawlessly Rachel Dodge was able to connect the chapters of the book to the Christian walk of faith. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at this classic novel the same way again, and I truly think her devotional's are some of the absolute best available on the market.

This was a stunning book from start to finish, and I can't wait to purchase my own copy of it in the very near future so I can see the beautiful illustrations and the like in the paper copy.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I can't personally recommend this one enough, and I can't wait to see what title this author chooses to tackle next.

Thanks so much to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

This is a beautiful devotional. It's a beautiful uplifting daily reading that will lift you up and the illustrations are so calming. This book would make a great gift. I loved it and highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rachel has done it again. She has captured the beauty of the books of our childhood and paired them with God's word so that we can meditate on it daily. It was Rachel's welcome message that captured my attention from the outset, I was moved by it and couldn't wait to read more. She, without a doubt, truly has a passion for classic literature and a love of God that resonates beautifully throughout each word on the page.

Rachel's passion is our gain, and for that I am thankful.

The illustrations are really special, and I like the muted hues used throughout the pages.

I highly recommend The Secret Garden Devotional for children and adults.

After falling in love with The Secret Garden earlier this year, it felt super special to get to read this. It's hard to rate/review devotionals, things that resonate with one person may not with another. But I truly think there's something for everyone in this book, although I'd recommend having at least some familiarity with the original novel. It takes the messages and lessons of the original, expands them, and injects more Biblical truth into them.

The illustrations are stunning, and it was so wonderful getting to re-live the story with an extra helping of God's love. Five stars from me!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

Since I was a little girl, I have really enjoyed the Secret Garden and wanted my very own garden. When I saw this devotional, I knew I had to read it. I loved how every devotional was centered around a chapter in the book and could be a reading companion to the book. It was based on scripture and was really uplifting. I also really enjoyed all the illustrations as well. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

I LOVE The Secret Garden Devotional by Rachel Dodge! I discovered her devotionals with the Little Women Devotional, which I loved, so when I saw this devotional I had to read it. It will not disappoint. If you have read the secret garden it is a wonderful reminder of the book, but if you haven't read the book don't worry. There is enough information in the devotional to let you know what is happening in the book. More importantly, Rachel uses the lessons from the story to show us God's love and mercy. She takes things that seem inconsequential and shows us that God is in everything. This book is upbeat and cheerful, it makes you feel like spring has sprung on the moors of your life. I suggest that everyone read this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader Copy. The views expressed are mine alone.

I really like the format of this devotional, each day has…
- Heading
- Bible verse
- Illustration from the book
- Direct quote from the book
- How the verse applies to The Secret Garden
- A personal application
- A prayer.
I don’t feel this devotional will have a wide spread audience even though the devotional are good, enlightening, thought provoking an encouraging. The reader will, in my opinion, need to be a huge fan of The Secret Garden and have much familiarity with the characters. The entries I found to be a bit lengthy. There are thirty days readings in the devotional. I didn’t read them all in their entirety. I skipped around and covered most of the entries.
She has also published a Little Women and an Anne of Green Gables devotional based on the same format

Beautiful Devotional

The Secret Garden was my all time favorite childhood book. So, when I saw the title to this devotional, I knew it was one that I had to read.

Author Rachel Dodge has created a beautiful devotional that flawlessly ties the book chapters and devotionals together. Each devotional consists of a synopsis of a book chapter, a book quote, scripture references, personal application, and a prayer. This combination is very inspirational, encouraging, thought provoking and heartfelt. It is one that I will come back to time and time again, and one that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All comments and opinions are completely my own.

Really well done devotional for the Secret Garden. I like how it really goes through chapter by chapter with verses, a personal application, and daily prayer. Through it I revisited one of my favorite childhood books and the illustrations are beautiful!

Just like Rachel Dodge's other literary devotionals, The Secret Garden Devotional is a fun, inspiring devotional that pairs each chapter from The Secret Garden with Bible verses and encouraging messages.

I found the daily messages encouraging and heartwarming and profound. Some of the chapters have illustrations based on the scenes from The Secret Garden, which gives the book an extra boost of beauty. I personally reread The Secret Garden alongside the devotional since it's easy to do a chapter a day, but someone who is familiar with the story can also revisit the classic with Rachel's chapter summaries.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of The Secret Garden who are looking for something encouraging and heartfelt to read for their daily Bible reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book and leave my review voluntarily.