Gene Stratton-Porter (1863–1924)

I'm...really not sure if I liked this or not. It starts out in a reasonably familiar place, for a Stratton-Porter book - a girl, not valued by her family, works out how to get away and get (more) schooling, in this case with the intention of becoming a teacher. However, rather than being scraping-by poor, her family is quite rich - or rather, her _father_ is quite rich. He has it all worked out, how his (large) family will work hard to earn each boy 200 acres of land as he comes of age; the show more girls work in the house to help save for this, then go teach for a year or two, then get married and join their husband's family. The girls get nothing, except a small stipend (supplemented by loans of clothes and so on from their sisters) to do a summer session on teaching to prepare them. The protagonist, the youngest daughter, is stunned to discover that, as her sisters aren't around to take over the work, she won't be allowed to do that summer session; she's expected to stay home and help her mother keep house...for ever, as far as she can see, or until she marries. So she borrows the money from one of her brothers and goes to the summer session; she returns and signs herself up for a school a few miles from home, once again disrupting her father's clever plans for her - which he has not bothered to explain, let alone ask her about. From there...a lot of things happen, including two different men falling in love with her, in neither case ending happily; her life isn't good, on a lot of levels, but quite a bit of it is because she makes impulsive choices without full knowledge and has to deal with the consequences. I can't really feel that she's the usual Stratton-Porter heroine, naive but determined and finding the right way - Kate finds quite a few of the wrong ways, and hurts others and is hurt by others along the way. It's, more or less, a happy ending, though. Much better than Rainbow's End, not as good as A Girl of the Limberlost, for me. And probably worth rereading, though getting through the dark parts may be harder now that I know how long and dark they will be. show less

When I visited my grandmother I would climb into the old walnut tree and sit with a book or two and a pocket full of apples, in case I got hungry and didn't want to climb down and smash walnuts with a rock and eat them. This was one of her books, and she gave it to me when I was a bit older, to keep. I loved it dearly and uncritically; I loved the heroine, the drama with her hard and bitter mother, the story of the woods and swampland.

Recently I reread it, in my own woodlands, as an show more environmentalist, and I thought "oh, by golly, her mom was right not to sell the land to be logged off and destroyed". And I took less kindly to the plundering of the swamps for moths to sell to collectors. (though I still loved the dress Eleanor designs)

And such is the perspective of time. show less

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

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