Generations of children have treasured the story of Sara Crewe, the little girl who imagines she's a princess in order to survive hard times at Miss Minchins London boarding school.

The Head of the House of Coombe follows the relationships between a group of pre-World War One English nobles and commoners. It also offers both some interesting editorial commentary on the political system in prewar Europe that Burnett feels bears some responsibility for the war and some surprisingly pointed social commentary.