The Ultimate Spring Reading List
Whimsical classics for the season of youth and rebirth
It’s nearly April, which means that in addition to celebrating the death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ at Easter, we also get to look forward to longer days, warmer weather, and all the delights of springtime. Though I am a woman of the autumn, springtime still gets me in a certain indescribable mood, and I am grateful it comes around again every year.. I awake from the slow, dusky depression of winter and am renewed with the energy to take on life again, as well as the spirit to dream.
Today I thought I’d share a list of classic novels that I hope will revive readers with the spirit of springtime. I should note that spring (as a literary element) is not just about change in the natural world; hence, these book recommendations will not all be nature-focused, with bunnies and flowers and sunshine enlivening every page. In my mind, spring is about spiritual, physical, and emotional growth. Thus the perfect spring novel celebrates childhood, youth, and the process of coming-of-age. The season of spring reflects positive life changes and the most precious parts of life - infancy, innocence, and imagination. In spring we emerge from hibernation into the big wide world, and thus stories of spring are accompanied by a sense of adventure, discovery, and wonder. Spring represents blossoming, coming-into-oneself, becoming; springtime tales are therefore rife with growing pains alongside the thrills. Perhaps most lovely of all, spring is the perfect time of year to become re-enchanted with life and to return to those long-past days of our girlhoods and boyhoods, and there is no better way to do so than through literature.
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
I’ll begin with the book you’re all expecting, and I won’t apologise for it. The Secret Garden is the ultimate spring novel, as it has all the necessary components: detailed attention to the natural wonder of spring and a sense of enchantment with the blossoming earth, explorations of girlhood and boyhood, themes of exploration as the children discover the secret garden and make it their own world of dreams, and finally a strong sense of renewal in both the setting and the characters. Both Mary and Colin are miserable, wretched children with little lust for life before they stumble upon each other and the secret garden. Throughout the springtime, the two young cousins learn what it means to be children, and they soften the wintered hearts of their guardians in the process.
Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and the rest of the series by L. M. Montgomery
The Anne of Green Gables series is a delightful set of girlhood tales set in the whimsical countryside of Prince Edward Island. The lovely, orange-haired Anne is the personification of springtime with her endless imagination, her larger-than-life dreams, and her endearing sense of optimism. Anne is enchanted with life and the world, and it's impossible to resist her charm. These novels also feature breathtaking descriptions of the Canadian coastline (both in springtime and other seasons) and a lot of outdoor adventuring and time spent reveling in nature.
The Wind and the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Though I don’t own my own copy of this splendid springtime tale, I plan to get my hands on one as soon as possible. If you’ve ever seen the illustrated version of this book, you’ll know the pictures are absolutely magical. The story features woodland creatures and themes of friendship and camaraderie, and it will whisk you away to an enchanted world where you participate in outdoor adventures with your mammal and amphibian companions. The Wind and the Willows is the perfect book to read to your children this spring (or to yourself, as I will be doing).
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Set in the rural English countryside, Far From the Madding Crowd is a novel about self-discovery, love, and romance. The whimsical Bathsheba Everdene learns how she can change for the better as her two suitors, the strong shepherd Gabriel Oak and the dashing Mr. Boldwood vie for her hand. Like all of Hardy’s novels, this story is pastoral, enchanting, and alive with all the themes of spring.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Peter Pan is the ultimate story of boyhood and youth. Barrie’s famous children’s tale encapsulates the ‘spring of the imagination,’ as I like to think of it. Spring returns to Neverland when Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, returns home. Peter Pan explores themes of childhood wonder, exploration and adventure, freedom and independence, and the endless possibilities of life from the perspective of children. This novel is a prime example of imaginative escapism; every time I read, I feel as if I am a child again, starting life all over and embarking into the great adventure of it, with an infinite amount of adventures awaiting me.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is the ultimate tale of girlhood, sisterhood, and developing womanhood. Each of the March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - grow up to become remarkably different women. Jo is the writer, Amy is the artist, Beth is the musician, and Meg is the actress and maternal figure. I love how Little Women zones in on Jo’s growth and development as a writer, as she slowly realises her genius and achieves success. Young Jo has no idea where her career will go, but abounds with hopes and dreams of literary excellence and acknowledgement. Little Women is rife with hope, family, love, romance, and artistic longing, and Alcott brings these themes to life with high artistic quality. This novel will forever be one of my favourites.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
I read this novel once in university, and I hope to pick it up again soon. Antonia’s story is deeply connected to nature and the landscape of the American midwest. This novel embodies the theme of growing into adulthood, as the little dreamer Antonia grows up, marries, and raises a family (by choice, but also by necessity). Antonia embodies the spirit of freedom as she pioneers her way forward on the American frontier. Her deep hope, optimism, and faith in the American dream and the good parts of life is inspiring. What I love most about My Antonia is the attention to the simple pleasures of life, and the connection between the rhythms of nature and of human life.
The Hobbit by J. R. Tolkien
This is the ultimate tale of journey and adventure. Bilbo Baggins leaves the safety of the Shire where he’s been tucked away (as if in winter) for the big, wide world and all the pain and glory it offers. The Hobbit is filled with themes of wonder and discovery as Bilbo encounters the strange creatures and places of Middle Earth, and of spiritual and emotional growth as Bilbo develops uncharacteristic courage and passion. There is also the element of homecoming and rebirth; Bilbo returns to the Shire a change man, and though he is able to enjoy life in the Shire again, there is the sense that the springtime of his life is now past - and it’s a good thing.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s novels of boyhood remind me distinctly of Peter Pan. Tom Sawyer resists authority, wants nothing to do with the adults in his life, and longs for the earth to be his own. He and his friends Huck Fynn and Joe Harper get into all kinds of mischief and adventure. They enjoy many outdoor activities, such as fishing, swimming, and games, and their strong friendship highlights the spirits of boyhood and springtime. The best thing in life is true friendship, said Saint Augustine, and this truism shines through in Twain’s novels. The highs and lows of youth set in the natural landscape of America makes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer an excellent springtime read.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This series is deeply nostalgic for me, as I grew up reading the novels and watching the TV show. Little House on the Prairie is deeply connected to nature, as it features rural country living in the American midwest. The Ingalls family enjoys the simple pleasures of life: living with family, gathering wildflowers in the meadow, attending church on Sunday and enjoying fellowship at the picnic afterwards. This is also a tale of girlhood, as Mary, Laura, and Carrie Ingalls experience girlhood and sisterhood together, and a celebration of homesteading, as Pa and Ma Ingalls labour to build a sage and peaceful home where they can live simply with their family, at one with nature.
These are just a handful of the many classics I could recommend for springtime reading! In addition, almost all of Jane Austen’s novels would fit this category, as well as the works of Thomas Hardy and perhaps Jules Verne. I hope to look into Spring Torrents by Ivan Turgenev and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte this spring as well. Happy reading, and happy Easter! May God bless you all.