The Borrowers (book series)

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The Borrowers is a children’s fantasy book series by English author Mary Norton, published from 1952 to 1982. It follows a family of tiny people who secretly live in the walls and floors of a big English house and secretly “borrow” objects from humans to survive. The story is told through the Clock family: Pod, Homily, and their daughter Arrietty. Arrietty is curious about the world outside their hidden home, which often leads to adventures and trouble for her family.

The Borrowers live under a clock in a house, and their name-like borrowed objects come from the big people around them. As Arrietty visits the human world, her curiosity creates exciting and chaotic situations, and the family must move their home several times.

The five full-length novels in the series are The Borrowers, The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Aloft, and The Borrowers Avenged. A related short book, Poor Stainless, tells a prequel-style story about a Borrower named Stainless. In these books, the Borrowers meet other tiny families, such as the Harpsichord family, and other small people like Peregrine “Peagreen” Overmantel, along with larger humans who become part of their adventures. The family eventually settles at the home of a caretaker on the grounds of an old church.

Key human characters include Mild Eye the gypsy, Tom Goodenough (the gardener’s son), and Miss Menzies, who interact with the Borrowers in different ways. The Borrowers’ names are often taken from everyday objects, like Stainless, named after items in a kitchen drawer.

There have been several adaptations of The Borrowers for stage and screen. An animated film project by Aardman Animations in 1989 was cancelled, and a new feature film is reportedly in development.