Mary Lennox becomes an orphan after her parents die in a cholera epidemic in India, and she is sent to England to live with her uncle. Her uncle is a very distant man who talks to no one, leaving Mary alone in the mansion with nobody to play with. Soon she meets a friendly servant boy named Dicon and his older sister Martha, and the three quickly become good friends. Later, Mary discovers a secret garden and hopes that it will bring happiness to her new family, including her crippled cousin Collin.