Showing results by author "Gene Stratton-Porter" in All Categories

One of the last families to live at the edge of the swamplands, Elnora Comstock and her widowed mother struggle to make ends meet, without giving up their land and the memories it holds. As she starts high school in town, Elnora realizes that her poverty, unusual upbringing, and love of nature and wildlife leave her quite out of place among her peers. Determined to make a better life, Elnora leans not only into the solace of the swamps, but also into the adventures it holds, finding love, hope, and the opportunity to turn her differences into her greatest strengths.

Elnora Comstock lives with her widowed mother at the edge of Limberlost Swamp. Her mother is harsh and critical of her daughter, but Elnora is a loving girl who befriends all creatures. She is especially drawn to the beautiful moths that flutter through the trees in Limberlost. Although Elnora longs to go to high school, she has no money to pay for tuition and books. When her cruel mother refuses to help, all seems lost, until Elnora learns she can sell the rare insects she collects. Still, her journey through high school and college will be full of challenges - and surprises.

The Nature Writing Essentials Collection gathers fourteen works of wilderness reflection, natural history, travel, memoir, and literary observation.

Freckles, a plucky young man, lands a job as a watchman for a lumber company that logs timber in a mysterious forest swamp called the Limberlost.

Jamie MacFarlane has returned a hero from the Great War but with a stubborn chest wound. The government has sent him to their new thermal springs hospital in California “where it was hoped that the brilliant sunshine, the fruits, and the clean air, the eternal summer of a beneficent land” would heal him. But nothing has worked and with his parents now deceased and no one to care for him, it seems the next step is a camp rife with tuberculosis. Realizing this, Jamie begins his Great Adventure on foot toward the ocean.

This is the charming story of David Langston, a young man in search of the woman of his dreams. She came to him in a vision and he knows he must find her.

The story of a plucky, optimistic newsboy, Michael O’Halloran, who has been orphaned from a young age and asks nothing of the world but to “Be Square!” This is a warm and joyous story of how Michael makes life sunnier for those around him, bringing joy to all who know him. (Summary by Mary A.)

Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost are two of Gene Stratton Porter's most famous novels. Set primarily in the Limberlost Swamp of Indiana, USA, Freckles follows the story of Freckles, a lame orphan whose innate character rises above his circumstances. A Girl of the Limberlost is the story of Elnora, blamed for her father's death by her mother, who nevertheless meets every challenge that comes her way with admirable resilience.

First published in 1909, A Girl of the Limberlost is a novel by American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter. This classic of Indiana literature is a sequel to Stratton-Porter's earlier novel Freckles. Wholesome, sensible, and beautiful, the heroine, Elnora, is also compassionate, self-reliant, and intelligent. Neglected by her mother, Elnora reaches through this hardship toward education, friendship, and love. There are no shortcuts and her hard work brings joy to herself and all those she loves.

Raised in an orphanage, knowing only abuse, struggle, and isolation, Freckles makes his way from Chicago to the Limberlost Swamp in Indiana. There he finds kindness in Mr. McLean, who hires him to guard the prized timber lot from thieves and other dangers. Freckles begins to earn a reputation as loyal, hard-working, diligent, and strong. However, he still feels unworthy of love or genuine kindness due to his past - which he believes must have been shameful due to his abandonment and disfigurement.

A Daughter of the Land follows Kate Bates, one of sixteen children, as she takes the wings of morning to try for independence and the life she's been denied. She dreams of a husband, children, and a farm, yet her actions have far-reaching consequences. This is a story of love and forgiveness, a picture of the brokenness around us, and it shows how God can make all things work together for good and shed hope and light in the midst of the valley of the shadow. - Summary by Patience Charles

Adam Bates, the Land King of Hartley, Indiana, rules his 16 children with a firm hand and a tight purse. All work tirelessly on the family farm until the sons, at 21, are given 200 acres of land with a house and barn (they pay the taxes while their father holds the deeds). The daughters, at 18, get a term at Normal School to train as schoolteachers, a position they hold until they marry. Kate, the youngest, has always bristled at her father's preference for his sons but eagerly awaits her chance for further education. Her father has other plans.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of A Girl of the Limberlost, a captivating novel by American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter, first published in August 1909. Set against the backdrop of the Limberlost Swamp in Indiana during the early 20th century, this story weaves a rich tapestry of nature, adventure, and the struggles of a young girl seeking her place in a rapidly changing world. (Summary from Wikipedia)

This is the sequel to Freckles - the moving story of a young girl whose kindness and wholesome philosophy brightens the lives of everyone she meets.

Freckles is the only name he has ever known. His right hand is missing at the wrist, and he is haunted by not knowing how it happened. Raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage, he speaks with a slight Irish accent and sings with a beautiful voice. Now, exhausted after many days of walking, he applies for a job with the Grand Rapids Lumber Company, guarding timber in the Limberlost Swamp from timber thieves. His Swamp Angel declares her love for him and promises that she will find his parents and prove that Freckles comes from "a race of men that have been gentlemen for ages."

Michael “Mickey” O’Halloran is no stranger to hardship. As an orphaned newsboy in the early 1900s, every day brings struggle. However, his kindness, faith, love, and optimism define his character and shine so brightly that he leaves an incredible impact on those around him. After taking in a crippled girl in need, Mickey works even harder to prepare a home, provide for their needs, and to bring joy and hope to their dark times.

This is a captivating, good-humored look at family life in a small farming community in Indiana in the early 1900s.

A Girl of the Limberlost, a novel by the writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter, was published in 1909 as the sequel to her earlier novel Freckles. The tale unfolds in and around the Limberlost Swamp of north-eastern Indiana and in the nearby town of Onabasha. The main character, Elnora Comstock, lives with her widowed mother, Katharine Comstock, on the edge of the wetlands. The embittered Katharine blames her daughter for the death of her husband, who was swallowed by quicksand.

Amaryllis, a five-year-old child who has been abandoned by her wealthy parents to the care of paid staff, runs away. Her plan is to find a home where someone will love her. She meets a lonely older boy who teaches her games, plays his violin for her, and introduces her to the glorious wonders of his garden. His sympathy and kindness bring comfort to her hungry heart. Their idyllic two days end when Amaryllis is discovered but she never forgets the boy. This is a sentimental tale of growing up, and of love lost and found again.

"The Harvester" is a gentle love story, made up of a fondness for nature, high moral ideals and an engaging plot. It is the story of young David Langston, who lives in the countryside with his dog, growing medicinal herbs he then sells in the city. One evening, he has a vision of his Dream Girl and goes searching for her, and in so doing changes the course of his life forever.