 In 19th-century India, little Mary Lennox is suddenly orphaned by cholera. Her only living relative is her crook-backed uncle, Archibald Craven, so Mary is sent to live at his estate on the Yorkshire moors. Rude and unpleasant, Mary gradually begins to change as she explores the manor and grows to know some of the servants, particularly her maid Martha, and Ben Weatherstaff the gardener. With the help of a robin, Mary discovers a secret garden. She also discovers a cousin she never knew she had, and begins to form plans that transform her cousin, the garden, and ultimately herself.