Woman is Reunited with Her Book in a Museum after Decades

The Book that was found

As kids, Zoe Andrews and her sister Hannah read the book-The Secret Garden. They wrote Hannah’s name on the cover page using hieroglyphics. As years passed by, they outgrew the story and hence decided to part with the book. So they donated the book to a local Oxfam charity shop. That was the end of the relationship between the book and its owners. However, it seems the book had different plans which would unfold after many years.

The Discovery 

Zoe happened to visit a second-hand book-store of a Reading museum and happened to open the book with the same name hardly hoping to see the same hieroglyphics staring back at her. To her amazement, it was the same book. The realization that it was the same book would have dawned gradually after the initial shock. One can imagine the happiness she would have experienced seeing something coming back to her from her childhood. Zoe and Hannah’s book was purchased by the Museum of English Rural Life, in order to re-sell in their own shop. Naturally, Zoe purchased the book back from the museum for 50p.

Reactions 

The story has taken social media by storm. People are amazed, how the book has returned to its original owner. These kinds of incidents rarely happen.

According to Zoe who is now 35 years, "Completely bizarre and unexpected. But it feels right to have it back,"  She also added, "I wonder how many other kids read it over the years? I couldn't believe it when I opened it up."

"I think when things work their way back to you, they were never meant to leave you in the first place."

It is believed that Zoe was hesitant to share the story behind the book with the people who worked in the museum. One person named Danielle Eade, who works at the museum said, "Zoe almost didn't tell us the story behind it. When she did, I couldn't let her leave without finding out more and asking her for a photo. It was such a lovely and heart-warming tale."

The Secret Garden is a novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is his most popular novel and is considered a classic. It was first published in book form in 1911. It appeared in The American Magazine between 1910-1911. It was appreciated and liked by the readers. Many films have been made on this book.

To know the secret behind the Secret Garden, one should surely read the book.