Gene Stratton-Porter (1863–1924)

This book has been recommended to me repeatedly, because my husband collects and raises moths and butterflies, some of which he frames and I make into jewelry. People have some very fond memories of this book, and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more when I was younger. It's the same basic genre as the [b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. show more Montgomery|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390789015l/8127._SY75_.jpg|3464264] series, but I think my beloved, spunky Anne Shirley would stand up better to my criticisms as an adult reader.

Let's start with our heroine, Elnora Comstock, who we follow from ages 16 to 21. She's such a Mary Sue.

It was a compound of self-reliance, hard knocks, heart hunger, unceasing work, and generosity. There was no form of suffering with which the girl could not sympathize, no work she was afraid to attempt, no subject she had investigated she did not understand. These things combined to produce a breadth and depth of character altogether unusual.

Seriously, this girl has NO FLAWS. She's kind, patient, humble, a veritable genius, gorgeous, etc., etc. There's really not much else to say about her, because -- other than her extensive knowledge of the "swamp" (really wetlands or marsh) -- she's super boring.

In contrast, her mother (Katharine Comstock) who won't sell off timber and "drain the swamp" to buy Elnora all the dresses she NEEDS to fit in with her townie classmates, is a bitter, short-tempered hag (because her name is Katharine), until she suddenly realizes the error of her ways and embraces Elnora full-heartedly, also undergoing a physical transformation that makes her worthy to be Perfect Elnora's mother.

The first part of the book is all about Elnora's struggle to enroll in, finance, and navigate high school. Really, we only see her freshman year, and then suddenly we skip to graduation, when she once again doesn't have the right dresses. There are also hints of menace from a gang of ruffians who wander the "swamp," but nothing ever really happens.

The middle section was the best, focusing on Elnora's attempts to complete various moth collections to pay for her college education. It doesn't happen. Everything gets repeatedly screwed up, and in the end Elnora is told that college would SPOIL her, which considering the depiction of women's college as endless sorority gatherings, is probably true. This is the part where mean ol' Mrs. Comstock comes to her senses and becomes a good mother. It's also, unfortunately, where Elnora's wet noodle love interest shows up.

The third part of the book is focused on the romance between Elnora and Philip Ammon, who has been betrothed his entire life to the most gorgeous, narcissistic girl in the world. Of course, Elnora is such a Mary Sue that she'd never steal another girl's man, so the story gets prolonged with chaste drama.

I would have liked this book much more if it was half the length and contained less romance and discussion of dresses.

My book group picked this one because it was recommended as being similar to [b:Where the Crawdads Sing|36809135|Where the Crawdads Sing|Delia Owens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524102644l/36809135._SY75_.jpg|58589364], which everyone else liked better than I did. The comparison is actually pretty funny, though. Other than featuring a nature-savvy girl who grows up in a wetlands area, they have almost nothing in common.

Read for book group, July 2019. show less

Narrated by the youngest child, this novel depicts growing up in a large family in the country as alternately idyllic and horrifying (although clearly Stratton-Porter thought it was all awesome.) The good: playing unsupervised outdoors all day, having adventures and learning all about flora and fauna. The bad: playing unsupervised outdoors all day, so one older brother tries to hang her to see what it’s like, she tries to kill a ram, she and the same brother feed a goose until it splits show more open and dies. This dichotemy seems incredibly realistic to me and reminded me of my girlfriend’s account of her childhood in County Clare. The teacher hits the main character across the face on her first day and her brother tells her it was her own fault and to keep quiet about it; again, this seemed like searing realism. At first the main character feels unwanted and unloved because her mother didn’t want to have another child, but her brother Laddie of the title is her champion and truly cares about her, and by the end of the book so does the rest of the family. There’s a romance between Laddie and a neighbor girl, and a lot of religious content that was completely mystifying to me. I thought it was forward-thinking for the mom to say that women should have their own money. show less

How did I miss this book when I was younger? It’s like a slighter darker version of Anne of Green Gables, and I loved every second of it.

Published in 1909, the story is about a young girl named Elnora who lives in the country. She is going to high school for the first time, but her lack of social skills and money makes the way difficult. Her whole life has been spent on her farm with her cold, unloving mother. Her father died in the Limberlost swamp the day she was born and her mother has show more resented her ever since.

Elnora is such a unique character. She is stubborn and driven to succeed. She's fiercely intelligent but incredibly compassionate. She is patient, giving her mother the benefit of the doubt for years. She's a hard worker, willing to make money to achieve her dreams. She has self-respect and is willing to sacrifice in order to find true happiness. She reminded me a little bit of Jane Austen’s Lizzy Bennet, particularly in a scene where one woman comes to talk to her about her possible engagement.

There is so much I loved about this book. There's a fantastic female lead who isn't just trying to win a man. The plot focuses on relationships with her family and friends and pursuing her dreams. She stands up for herself even when she doesn't fit in. She's a problem solver and isn't overwhelmed when a slight obstacle gets in her path.

**SPOILERS**
Kate Comstock, Elnora's mother, is a fascinating character. She’s so oblivious to the pain she causes her daughter because she’s trapped in a prison of grief. She has one of the most drastic changes in attitude and overall character development that I've ever read. The way it's done it's completely believable, but it's still a 180 and it was so satisfying to see her relationship with Elnora change throughout the book.

I love how the romantic aspect of the story played out too. Elnora protects her own feelings and isn’t swayed the moment Philip gave her a second glance. She waited until she was sure he didn't want anyone else and she was not just a consolation prize. That’s so unusual to find in a novel, especially one written more than 100 years ago. She wanted someone who loved her deeply, not someone who settled for her in a moment of passion.
**SPOILERS OVER**

BOTTOM LINE: I fell hard for this novel. Elnora is so determined and intelligent, she’s definitely become one of my new favorites. The book is chocked full of wonderful characters, including her Uncle Wesley, the young ruffian Billy and even her selfish, detached mother becomes a character you care about. show less

Freckles is a one-handed, plucky waif of an orphan, who has been raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage and yet speaks with a powerful Irish accent. He applies for a job guarding timber in the swamp, and is accepted despite his youth and the disability of his having only one hand. He insists that the name given him in the orphanage "is no more my name than it is yours." Freckles develops an interest in the wildlife of the swamp and in natural history, and falls in love with the Swamp show more Angel. The story's primary action involves his self-education, his loyalty to his employer, his growing love for the Angel (and hers for him) and his conviction that it's better and finer to deny his love than to court her "without knowledge of honorable birth." Though he is loved and admired by all he meets, he considers himself unworthy of the Angel. Eventually he risks his life to save the Angel, and she goes on a quest to find his birthparents. show less