Sara Crewe, a wealthy young student at a London boarding school, suddenly finds herself at the mercy of the cruel schoolmistress after tragedy strikes. Overwhelmed by terrible trials, Sara must find the strength to survive. She discovers, in the midst of her struggles, that, "Whatever comes . . . cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside." Sara's story is one of perseverance, bravery, generosity, and imagination. Frances Hodgson Burnett provides readers with a vivid illustration of the biblical principle that true worth is a matter of the heart.