Two New Books for the Out of Print Collection: Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost
My newest Out of Print titles – a Duo!
Coming to the shop on March 1st at 10am CST: Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter.
Spring is upon us, my friends. When spring comes, I love reading books that celebrate nature. Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost fit the bill perfectly!
Gene Stratton-Porter was an American author, nature photographer, and naturalist from Indiana. The setting for her first two novels, Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost, was Limberlost Swamp in Geneva, Indiana, where Stratton-Porter lived until 1913. The swamp was also the locale for many of her nonfiction works, which focused on natural history. To her friends and readers, Stratton-Porter was known as “The Bird Lady” and “The Lady of the Limberlost”. In 1917 Stratton-Porter urged legislative support for the conservation of Limberlost Swamp and other wetlands in Indiana. Unfortunately, the swamp was drained, resulting in Stratton-Porter having to find inspiration elsewhere.
After the publication of Freckles in 1904, Gene Stratton-Porter became wildly famous for her time, with over 50 million books of her titles in print. She went on to become a movie producer, in addition to continuing her writing career with over 55 books published during her career. Although Stratton-Porter preferred to focus on her nature books, it was her novels that made her famous. In turn, the success of these novels provided the income she needed to further pursue her studies of nature. By 1919, her status as a best-selling author had begun to fade, but she remains an important part of American history.
From the back of Freckles:
“The Limberlost stirred gently, then shook herself, growled, and awoke around him…”
Freckles, a spirited orphan, sets out to prove his worth in the world. Maimed and abandoned as an infant, he finally finds deliverance in the Limberlost Swamp, where he is given the opportunity to guard its precious timber. It’s in the woods of the swamp that he finally finds solace and meaning; the beauty of nature and the majesty of God’s creatures begin to heal his soul.
In this heartwarming story of adventure, love, and virtue, Indiana-born naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter celebrates the wonderful world God has given us.
From the back of AGotL:
“Maybe earth and air accumulate, but it takes the wisdom of the Almighty God to devise the wing of a moth.”
Poor country girl Elnora Comstock is determined to go to high school and get an education, in spite of the lack of support from her emotionally distant mother. She soon realizes that she doesn’t have the funds to pay for school, and must earn her own way – which is where the Limberlost Swamp comes in. Elnora has always loved observing nature and collecting its treasures, and now she begins to sell the cocoons, moths, and butterflies she’s always had a fascination with. Along the way, relationships are mended, new bonds are formed, and secrets are unearthed.
A Girl of the Limberlost is a celebration of the wonders of God’s creation. In this timeless story of love and redemption, Indiana-born naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter immortalizes her own home, the Limberlost Swamp, and her boundless love for nature.
This titles will be available on March 1st.