Daddy Long Legs (1912)

I loved it, very entertaining. A reread for sure. ( )

How have I managed to live over half a century and not come across this wonderful classic coming of age story?

Eighteen year old Jerusha (Judy) Abbott has been brought up at the John Grier Home, an orphanage. The children are completely dependent on charity and had to wear other people’s cast-off clothes. Even their names were second hand, Judy’s unusual first name was selected by the matron off a grave stone and her surname was picked out of the phone book. Once the children reached the age of sixteen they are expected to leave and make their own way in the world, however Judy has stayed on to assist with the younger children.

One Wednesday, after the monthly board meeting of trustees, she is told by the matron that one of the trustees has offered to pay her way through college. Normally he subsidises the education of one of the boys, however after speaking to her former teachers he thinks she has potential to become an excellent writer. He decides to pay her tuition and also give her a generous monthly allowance and in return Judy must write him a monthly letter, because he believes that letter-writing is important to the development of a writer. However, she will never know his identity; she must address the letters to Mr. John Smith, and he will never reply. Judy subsequently goes off to college and her story is told through her letters to ‘Dear Daddy Long Legs’. Judy names him Daddy Long Legs because the only glimpse she had of him was his lanky shadow as he left the orphanage.

Judy has a wonderful time at college. She makes new friends and studies many subjects that are entirely new to her. To begin with though she feels very strange and isolated because she has little in common with the other girls, but her wonderful character shines through and she soon has many friends, a couple of bosom buddies and receives the attentions of some very eligible young men, especially Jervis (Jervie) Pendleton. She discusses every thing with ‘Daddy’ her joys, her disappointments, the good times and the bad – she hold nothing back. Over the four years of her studies she often begs him to give her some more information so she knows who she is writing to, and comes up with some ludicrous ideas of what he might look like. Eventually all is revealed as Judy leaves College with her coveted diploma and looks to the future. I have to say that the ending was not a surprise to me, but that didn’t matter at all. It is the content that makes this book such a great read – written almost a hundred years ago it covers women’s issues that are still important today – women’s rights, education, happiness, identity and, of course, love. ( )

Loved this story! While it is definitely outdated in many ways it is still a charming escape. ( )

Raised for seventeen years in the John Grier Home for Orphans, Jerusha Abbott was unprepared for the astounding news that one of the Home's trustees - the anonymous "Mr. Smith" - was so struck by a humorous essay she had written for one of her high school English classes, that he had decided to send her to college, on the understanding that she would train to be a writer. The only condition of this generous offer was that she regularly write to her benefactor - whom she promptly nicknamed 'Daddy Long-Legs,' as his height was one of the few things she knew about him - and keep him informed of her progress.

Setting out this premise in the initial chapter of Daddy Long Legs, which was first published in 1912, Jean Webster then switches to the epistolary form, and the reader is treated to some of the most delightful letters (complete with amusing illustrations!), full of a delicious sense of humor, and a keen insight into the people being described therein. Orphan Jerusha becomes college-girl Judy, a young woman who at first feels herself to be a 'foreigner' in this land outside of the Home, but who gradually wins a place for herself in the wider world. The widening of her horizons - both academic and personal - make Judy's story immensely appealing, as does Judy herself, whose voice is so distinctive and so authentic. Judy just feels so real, as a character, that the reader enters fully into her world, and cheers from the sidelines as all good things open up before her.

The fact that the identity of 'Daddy Long-Legs' is easily guessed, and the conclusion of Judy's romantic life is a foregone conclusion, in no way detracts from the charm of the tale, or its interest for the reader. Sweet, without being cloying, this is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who has enjoyed the work of Louisa May Alcott, Maud Hart Lovelace, or L.M. Montgomery! ( )

I found Daddy-Long-Legs courtesy of the lovely ladies over at Young Adult Anonymous and then devoured it in one sitting. (it is free for Kindle, though devoid of illustrations) Published in 1912, it is a series of letters from the fictional Jerusha (Judy) Abbott to the mysterious benefactor who plucks her from an orphanage and pays for her college. The conditions of receiving the monetary support are that he will remain anonymous (as such, Judy calls him many things but most often Daddy-Long-Legs because she's only seen him once in shadow against a wall and he looked tall and thin) and that she write him monthly letters. Fans of epistolary fiction will love this, as well as Anne-girl fans, because Judy is spunky, hilarious, and outspoken in an [b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. Montgomery|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203168s/8127.jpg|3464264] way. After a while I wanted the story to get to the point, though I never really tired of Judy's voice. Once the endgame of the author becomes clear, it is funny to see the actions of Judy and her benefactor change. I also think this book would appeal to fans of movies like Meet Me In St. Louis and the older versions of Cheaper by the Dozen. The descriptions of the homes, families, clothes, and such really made me picture those movies I've seen time and time again. (I feel kind of like a badass that I placed both those movies in the same time period as Daddy-Long Legs before looking the dates up.)

This mini-review was part of a series of 7 mini-reviews of short YA books I wrote for a post over at our blog, The Readventurer. ( )