a little homeless girl, a street prostitute and a thief, and you’ve got yourself a compelling read.

In this short story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a depressed and suicidal businessman makes his way through early 20th century London while the smog lays thick on the ground. A backdrop which viewers of the hit tv-show ‘The Crown’, starring Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter, will undoubtedly find familiar. Frances Hodgson Burnett was an English American playwright and author. Born in the UK in Manchester to a family of ironmongers, she later migrated to the United States where she would go on to write some of her most famous plays and novels. During the span of her career, Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote and published more than 53 novels, most of them for adults. However, she is perhaps best known for her work in children’s literature, including famous titles such as ‘The Little Princess’ (1905), ‘The Secret Garden’ (1911), and ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’ (1886). Frances Hodgson Burnett is also known for her historical fiction, including acclaimed titles such as 'The Head of the House of Coombe' (1922) and its sequel, 'Robin' (1922). Burnett’s work has been adapted for film many times. The latest movie adaptation of ‘The Secret Garden’ was released in 2020, starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters.