A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett
List: $10.13 | Sale: $7.10
Club: $5.06

A Little Princess
A BBC Radio 4 children’s classic

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Series: BBC Children's Classics #1

Narrator: Julia McKenzie, Robert Glenister, Ellie Beaven, Ravin J Gunatra, Nicky Henson, Full Cast

Unabridged: 1 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2021

Synopsis

A BBC radio dramatisation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's much-loved children's story

Brought from India to chilly, fog-bound London, Sara Crewe is enrolled as a pupil at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies. Her doting father, Captain Crewe, has provided her with fine clothes and luxuries fit for a princess, and she attracts envious attention. But Sara soon wins friends with her kindness, taking the school's misfits under her wing, and telling them wonderful stories to cheer them up. Yet despite her best efforts, her spiteful classmate Lavinia and mean headmistress Miss Minchin remain determined to dislike her.

Then one day, Sara receives some terrible news. Her father has died, and his fortune is lost. Suddenly penniless, Sara is stripped of all her possessions and forced to become a servant. Banished to the attic with only her dreams to sustain her, will her courage, warm heart and imagination see her through?

First published in 1905, Frances Hodgson Burnett's timeless tale has captured the hearts of generations, and is frequently ranked among the best children's novels of all time. This enchanting adaptation stars Ellie Beaven as Sara, with Julia McKenzie as Miss Minchin and Nicky Henson as Captain Crewe.

Production credits
Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Dramatised by Dave Simpson
Directed by Martin Jameson
Executive producer: Diane Whitley
Music composed by Robert Rigby

Cast
Miss Minchin - Julia McKenzie
Captain Crewe - Nicky Henson
Sara- Ellie Beaven
Saeed/Ram Dass - Ravin J Gunatra
Amelia - Fenella Norman
Monsieur Dufarge/Mr Carmichael - Timothy Morand
Mr Barrow/Removal man - Anthony Jackson
Shop assistant - Jilly Bond
Maid/Baker woman - Ali Hames
Becky - Emma Copeland
Ermengarde - Danielle Nelson
Lavinia - Lucy Kent
Jessie - Sasha Hannau
Lottie - Becky Simpson
Mr Carrisford - Robert Glenister
Janet - Sara MacDonald
Beggar girl - Carla Prosser
Donald - Max Wrottesley

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 1996

©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

About Frances Hodgson Burnett

English born novelist Frances Hodgson Burnett was best known for her children's stories, particularly Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess. Many of her works have been and continue to be dramatized in film and video.

Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Manchester, England, on November 24, 1849. When she was four, her father died, leaving her mother with five children and little money. They moved to America when she was sixteen and settled on a farm in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The family financial situation did not improve, and Frances felt that she had the ability to earn money from writing, so as a teenager, she sent her stories to an editor. She began with short stories based on her childhood days in Manchester. After "Surly Tim's Trouble" premiered in Scribner's Magazine in 1872, publishers pursued Frances; one successful story led to another.

Frances married Dr. Swan M. Burnett in 1873, and they had two sons. They traveled extensively throughout Europe and subsequently took up residence in Washington, D.C. Later, reporters criticized her lifestyle and turned public sentiment against her, despite her attempts to stay out of the public eye. Frances died October 29, 1924, at the age of seventy-four.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Hailey on June 15, 2016

Oh my goodness I absolutely adored this! This brought me right back to childhood since I loved the movie as a kid, so glad the book is just as good!!......more

Goodreads review by Yulia on December 04, 2013

My mother thought it completely foolish of me to buy a hardcover book and then finish it in one night (these were the days before Harry Potter and, besides, we had enough books in our house, in her opinion). But I loved owning this edition with its gorgeous images and, when I gave it to my younger c......more

Goodreads review by Ruby on December 31, 2020

My favourite book of all time.......more

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on January 24, 2025

A blast from the past Once upon a time, in my childhood, I had watched the movie and read a modernized version of this old classic book, but I had never actually dusted off The Original. On eBay, I scored a 1928 copy of A Little Princess in relatively good shape for about $20. Mmmmmmmmmmm. What a tacti......more

Goodreads review by Miranda on February 14, 2026

Sara Crewe is a young pupil at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and it is clear from the start that she is favored. Of course she is - she's absolutely loaded. A private room, custom gowns, more toys than what she could ever play with. The teachers resent her and the other students env......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List