After their mother dies of typhoid, Verna and her younger sister Carlie move with their father, a psychiatrist, and stern Aunt Maude to an asylum for the mentally ill in early-twentieth-century Michigan, where new ideas in the treatment of mental illness are being proposed, but old prejudices still hold sway. ( )

This heartwarming story takes place in 1900, two years after the mother of young Verna and Carlie died of typhoid. The girls, along with their mother’s older sister Aunt Maude (who now helps take care of them), and their father, a well-known psychiatrist, have come to Michigan so the father can take a position at the well-known asylum there. The asylum is part of the new progressive movement that believes in healing mental health through positive treatment, pleasant surroundings, and purposeful work.

At that time in history, there was still much discrimination against “insane asylums” and Aunt Maude shuddered at the very thought of contact with any of the “inmates.” But Papa brings in Eleanor, a young woman who was at the asylum for depression, to help cook and clean and take care of the girls. Verna and Carlie and even their father immediately take to the kind, gentle, and spirited Eleanor, much to the dismay of Aunt Maude, who can barely contain her spiteful jealousy and resentment. Papa explains to the girls, “Unhappily Aunt Maude believes love is like a glass of water, just so many sips to go around, when really it’s like scooping water from a river. Take as much as you like. The river just fills right up again.”

Meanwhile, Verna and Carlie find, much to their surprise, that the asylum is a lovely place, with trees, flowers, and animals. And the patients aren't scary at all. Those who are in the worst shape can still enjoy the outdoors by visiting a locked garden.

Aunt Maude succeeds in getting rid of Eleanor, but Verna and Carlie scheme to drive Aunt Maude back to her house and bring Eleanor back. Their plan works in part, but not without some nearly disastrous consequences. And Eleanor, a young single woman, cannot stay in the house with an unmarried man without Maude there. The girls want Papa to marry Eleanor, but Verna understands that “Aunt Maude’s and Papa’s hearts were shut away in their locked gardens.” What’s the best way to be? Verna isn’t sure: “I was a little afraid to be like Carlie and Eleanor, so quick to love you might get hurt, but I didn’t want to be like Aunt Maude and Papa, so cautious loving got away from you.”

The Locked Garden has much to recommend it for young readers. It contains interesting historical information that is seamlessly embedded in the plot, and offers lots to think about on the topics of love and friendship. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book for this age group! ( )

The Locked Garden is set in the year 1900, and is primarily the story of two sisters: Verna, age 12, and Carlie, age 6. After the recent death of their mother, the girls move with their father, who is a physician, to a new home located on the grounds of an insane asylum where he will be given the opportunity to test his theories of treating mental illness with medication. Joining the family in their journey is Aunt Maude, their maternal aunt, who seems determined to constantly remind the children and their father of the recent loss they have suffered in an effort to keep the memory of her sister alive. Shortly after starting life in their new home, their father hires a young patient, Eleanor, to assist in the care of Verna and Carlie. Eleanor's arrival changes everything, and soon Verna and Carlie find themselves at odds with both their father and their aunt as they try to ensure that Eleanor will remain one of the family.

This was an enjoyable read, which at times reminded me of Sarah, Plain and Tall. I found the understanding and treatment of mental illness at the time of the novel to be especially interesting. The book certainly didn't feel like a history lesson, but I felt that I learned a lot during the course of my reading. This book would be a perfect introduction to helping children have an understanding of the concepts of mental illness and depression. I can picture myself someday reading it to my own children when they are older so that we can have a discussion about what mental illness is, and how such illnesses are treated today versus in the past. The book also deals with death and grieving, although this is certainly a minor focus of the book. I am mentioning it because I really appreciated Whelan's handling of this topic.

The story itself is very fast paced. I found this to be a quick read. I was able to finish it in an afternoon. The target age group is 8-12, or grades 3-7, and I feel that this book was perfectly suited to this audience. The only reason I can't give this book a higher rating is because of the abrupt ending. I really felt that the story came to a screeching halt just as I was bracing for the climax. Perhaps this is because Whelan is planning to write a sequel, but I just found myself shocked that this book was actually over.

I would like to thank Harper Collins for generously providing me a review copy. Whelan is a great writer, and this isn't the first novel of hers that I have read. It certainly won't be my last. ( )

The loss of their mother and then the move to a new home so that their father (Edward Martin) could work at a new asylum, left twelve year old Verna and her younger sister, six year old Carlie (Caroline) to be looked after by their stern Aunt Maude. When the new help (Eleanor Miller), a patient at the asylum, started to become close to the girls, Aunt Maude became jealous of the relationship and started to take an even meaner approach to dealing with Eleanor and the children. Between the cruelty of Aunt Maude and of her own father, Eleanor had a set back causing Verna and Carlie to take drastic measures in order to help their friend.

This is a great children’s historical that has the main characters doing things that many kids would like to do. The decision making process is impulsive and selfish with no concern with how it may affect others. This wonderful story really brings across the lesson of consequences to Verna. There is a lot of sad parts to this book that also brings out how differently people respond to one another. Verna saw the patients of the asylum as friends while Aunt Maude saw them as something to be afraid of. For a youth book, this is dealing with serious emotional and social concepts that can leave a good opening for honest conversations. It is a historical so it also shows mental health treatment in its infancy and gives kids an idea of how different many things are now than it was just over 100 years ago.

This is an early reviewer copy from Harper Collins Children, it is not due to be released until June 2009 ( )

The year is 1900. Two years after the death of their mother, twelve-year-old Verna Martin and her six-year-old sister, Carlie, leave their home in the city. They are moving with their father, a psychiatrist, to an asylum in the countryside that is testing out new ideas for the treatment of the mentally ill. Their strict Aunt Maude, who has cared for them since their mother's death, accompanies them.

Much to Verna's surprise, the asylum is a lovely place, with trees, flowers, and animals. And the patients aren't scary at all. One patient is Eleanor, a young woman who, thanks to the care and peaceful setting of the asylum, has improved enough to work. She comes to work at their house, to cook, clean, and help care for the sisters. Verna and Carlie become very close to Eleanor, and this causes Aunt Maude to become very jealous, which results in terrible consequences for Eleanor's health, leaving Verna to try and fix the situation.

The Locked Garden is a very interesting historical novel for young readers about a topic not much explored in children's fiction - the beginnings of modern mental health treatment. This book is both an interesting look at the subject as well as a touching story about family and friendship. I recommend it to young readers who like historical fiction as well as those readers who have enjoyed other books by the author. ( )