Mistress Masham's Repose facts for kids
Mistress Masham's Repose is a fantasy novel written by T. H. White in 1946. It tells the story of a young girl who finds a secret group of tiny people. These tiny people are called Lilliputians. They come from the famous book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.
The story takes place in Northamptonshire, England. It is set right after World War II. The book also has an old-fashioned feel from the 1700s. This is like the time of the original Lilliput stories. A big idea in the novel is about people ruling themselves.
Contents
Discovering the Lilliputians
Maria is a ten-year-old orphan. She lives on a run-down family estate. Her only friends are a kind Cook and an old Professor. They try to protect Maria from her strict Governess, Miss Brown.
Miss Brown and Maria's guardian, Mr. Hater, are not kind to her. They want to keep Maria poor and alone. Maria does not go to school. She feels shy, lonely, and unloved.
One day, Maria discovers a group of tiny people. They are the Lilliputians. She must learn to be a good friend to them. Maria faces challenges like fear and the urge to boss them around. She has to save her new friends and herself.
The Secret Estate of Malplaquet
The ruined estate in the book is called Malplaquet. It is similar to Stowe House in Buckinghamshire, England. The main house itself looks like Blenheim Palace. This palace was home to the Dukes of Marlborough.
The name Malplaquet comes from a famous battle. The Battle of Malplaquet was a big victory for the Duke of Marlborough.
The story's special place is a tiny, forgotten island. It is in the middle of a large lake on the estate. This island is called the titular Repose. It is home to the Lilliputians. Their ancestors were brought to England centuries ago. A sea captain found them after Lemuel Gulliver first discovered them.
The island is perfect for the Lilliputians. It is secret and safe. You can only reach it by boat. A wall of thick brambles protects it. The Lilliputians carefully grow these brambles. Many old monuments on the estate remind people of the 1700s. The island's name, Mistress Masham's Repose, honors Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. She was a close friend of Queen Anne.
Book Editions
The book was first released in the U.S. in 1946. This was done by Putnams. In the United Kingdom, Jonathan Cape published it in 1947. It was reprinted several times over the years. The book went out of print in 2009. However, Red Fox Books republished it in 2011.
In the U.S., the book was hard to find for many years. Then, The New York Review Children's Collection re-released it.
Planned Movie That Never Happened
An animation expert named Joe Hale wanted to make a movie based on the book. He pitched the idea to Disney. Andreas Deja, a famous animator, even did some early drawings for it.
Roy E. Disney liked the idea and supported the film. But Michael Eisner, who was the company's CEO at the time, did not like it at all. He stopped any plans for the movie to be made.
