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