Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Junior Deluxe Editions / Doubleday (1957), Edition: Junior Deluxe, 320 pages
Description
Orphaned and maimed, Freckles' bitterness about his fate is lessened when he is hired to guard a stretch of lumber in the wild Limberlost and, after meeting the beautiful "Swamp Angel," he determines to find out about his past.
User reviews
LibraryThing member HollyMS
I was on the lookout for a copy of Freckles for years. I first read A Girl of the Limberlost (a sort of sequel to Freckles) in elementary school and loved it. While reading it, however, I got the sense that I was missing something, because everyone kept mentioning 'Freckles'. I realized that
To be frank, I was very disappointed. I remembered being enchanted with A Girl of the Limberlost, but I didn't like Freckles very much at all. If you love sickly sweet children's books from over 100 years ago, you'll probably like Freckles, but even I wasn't a huge fan. It was just a little much. I suppose my main issue was with Freckle's age. I am fine with wholesome children's classics about little boys. They're generally not too realistic concerning what I know of little boys today, but I can stand them. Freckles is a different story, however. In Freckles, the protagonist (known as, of course, 'Freckles') is 18-years-old and ages to 20 by the end. You'd never know it, however, from reading the book. Freckles acts like a 12-year-old and everyone treats him that way (indeed, some confused publishers have mistakenly put a picture of a little boy on the cover of the book, though there are no actual children among the main characters in 'Freckles'). He is always referred to as a "boy". I'm not saying that he is immature exactly, but he is altogether too wholesome and juvenile. Unless this book was intended for very young readers, Gene Stratton-Porter is talking down to her audience. Freckles characterization was too distracting and too annoying for me that I couldn't enjoy the book.
Besides that, the novel has some issues concerning vague classism, racism, and sexism, but it's not too bad for something written over a century ago. The real highlight of the book is how it portrays nature. Gene Stratton-Porter was an amateur naturalist and it really shows through the novel. Her descriptions of the Limberlost Swamp are wonderful. Some aspects of the book may be somewhat disconcerting for a modern-day environmentalist (including the depiction of loggers as the 'good guys,' the clearing of the forest as a matter of course, and the planting of non-native species in the forest) but that part is still enjoyable.
After reading Freckles, I was concerned that I had remembered wrongly and that maybe A Girl of the Limberlost wasn't as good as I once thought, but that was not the case. I found that it wasn't even really necessary to read Freckles before reading A Girl of the Limberlost. In fact, I may even advise against it.
All in all, if you wish to read Freckles because you loved A Girl of the Limberlost, I'm going to tell you that isn't necessary. In my opinion, Freckles is not as good as that book and you may find it, frankly, disappointing. I wouldn't particularly recommend Freckles to anyone, but it wasn't altogether awful. If you are able to withstand any sort of sugary tooth-decayingly sweet book from over a hundred years ago, be my guest and read it. For anyone else, you may just wind up with a toothache.
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another book came before A Girl of the Limberlost and I hoped to find it and read it someday. I didn't look too hard, admittedly, but I happened upon a very old copy of Freckles in a used book store a few months ago and I have just now had the chance to read it.To be frank, I was very disappointed. I remembered being enchanted with A Girl of the Limberlost, but I didn't like Freckles very much at all. If you love sickly sweet children's books from over 100 years ago, you'll probably like Freckles, but even I wasn't a huge fan. It was just a little much. I suppose my main issue was with Freckle's age. I am fine with wholesome children's classics about little boys. They're generally not too realistic concerning what I know of little boys today, but I can stand them. Freckles is a different story, however. In Freckles, the protagonist (known as, of course, 'Freckles') is 18-years-old and ages to 20 by the end. You'd never know it, however, from reading the book. Freckles acts like a 12-year-old and everyone treats him that way (indeed, some confused publishers have mistakenly put a picture of a little boy on the cover of the book, though there are no actual children among the main characters in 'Freckles'). He is always referred to as a "boy". I'm not saying that he is immature exactly, but he is altogether too wholesome and juvenile. Unless this book was intended for very young readers, Gene Stratton-Porter is talking down to her audience. Freckles characterization was too distracting and too annoying for me that I couldn't enjoy the book.
Besides that, the novel has some issues concerning vague classism, racism, and sexism, but it's not too bad for something written over a century ago. The real highlight of the book is how it portrays nature. Gene Stratton-Porter was an amateur naturalist and it really shows through the novel. Her descriptions of the Limberlost Swamp are wonderful. Some aspects of the book may be somewhat disconcerting for a modern-day environmentalist (including the depiction of loggers as the 'good guys,' the clearing of the forest as a matter of course, and the planting of non-native species in the forest) but that part is still enjoyable.
After reading Freckles, I was concerned that I had remembered wrongly and that maybe A Girl of the Limberlost wasn't as good as I once thought, but that was not the case. I found that it wasn't even really necessary to read Freckles before reading A Girl of the Limberlost. In fact, I may even advise against it.
All in all, if you wish to read Freckles because you loved A Girl of the Limberlost, I'm going to tell you that isn't necessary. In my opinion, Freckles is not as good as that book and you may find it, frankly, disappointing. I wouldn't particularly recommend Freckles to anyone, but it wasn't altogether awful. If you are able to withstand any sort of sugary tooth-decayingly sweet book from over a hundred years ago, be my guest and read it. For anyone else, you may just wind up with a toothache.
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LibraryThing member knitbusy
This is truly a forgotten classic. I first read it many years ago, and recently had the desire to pick it up again. I found that it was not as readily available as many other classics, which is certainly a shame as it is a wonderful book.
The story concerns a young orphan, named Freckles, who has
This is a great read, but I did find it slightly less enjoyable than Porter's Girl of the Limberlost, which also takes place in Indiana. Porter describes Freckles as "plucky," and that really is the best word to describe him. This book has just enough action to keep the reader engaged, and is a quick and easy read. What really comes through on each page is Porter's love of nature and all it's wonders. I am sure I will be rereading this again in years to come.
The story concerns a young orphan, named Freckles, who has
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personally experienced many of the worst aspects of humanity in his short life. Sadly, these experiences have left Freckles with only one hand, no material possessions, little education, and most importantly, no concerned friends or loved ones. As a result of the kindness of Mr. Mclean, part owner of the grand rapids lumber company, Freckles finds himself serving as the protector of timber in the Limberlost swamp. The timber itself is very valuable, and there are several unsavory characters who would love to have a chance to sell the timber for themselves. This employment proves to be life changing for Freckles, and ultimately leads to his discovery of the history of his past. The book also features a charming love story that is both tender and engaging.This is a great read, but I did find it slightly less enjoyable than Porter's Girl of the Limberlost, which also takes place in Indiana. Porter describes Freckles as "plucky," and that really is the best word to describe him. This book has just enough action to keep the reader engaged, and is a quick and easy read. What really comes through on each page is Porter's love of nature and all it's wonders. I am sure I will be rereading this again in years to come.
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LibraryThing member countrylife
To see one little corner of the country undisturbed, look in the pages of Freckles. Gene Stratton-Porter has so vividly captured the Limberlost swamp area of Indiana, that you feel as though you've been there. Into that location, she sets Freckles, a 19 year old orphan, with one hand, but strong
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heart and initiative, who would do anything for the boss-man who shows him kindness and gives him a job. Freckles' adventures made for some happy reading, starting with his fear of the creatures on the land he must guard against timber thieves, his “chickens”, yearning for knowledge, and friendship with the Bird-Lady and the Swamp-Angel. A nice old-fashioned story. I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member nittnut
I love this story. It is sweet and old fashioned. It falls in the genre of "orphan boy is honest and hard-working and makes good". Safe for any age, boy or girl. Adventure, romance, a little history, what could be better. The author was an amateur naturalist and wildlife photographer, and that can
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be felt in her beautiful descriptions of the location where the story is set, and her knowledge of the plant and animal life common to the area. Show Less
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
I read this book when about 8 or 9 years old and loved it. My grandmother was a librarian and often passed on books that were duplicates or not needed, not just classics like Little House on the Prairie, The Bobbsey Twins or the Oz books, but lesser-known works such as The Five Little Peppers and
Recently I came across a mention of Girl of the Limberlost, one I never read by Gene Stratton Porter. Maybe it was nostalgia, but I decided I wanted to read it and grabbed a copy of Freckles to reread first to reacquaint myself with that world.
The author was a conservationist and her writing reflects her love of the woods and swamp. The Limberlost is a real place in Indiana, mostly gone now. She evokes the feel of that world so well, the flowers, trees, animals, and especially the birds. Her descriptions are just lovely, though she's clever at showing the grimmer aspects of the swamp. Mrs. Duncan's misadventure contrasts well as a reminder with Freckle's daily walks with his 'chickens'.
This was also probably one of the first romances I read. The growing relationship between Freckles and Angel is sweet and pure. The book certainly harks back to a different time, in some ways simpler though there is evil in the story also. My young heart fell in love with the poor Irish orphan with one hand, and I'm not ashamed to admit some of those twinges still existed as I reread his story.
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The Outdoor Girls. Recently I came across a mention of Girl of the Limberlost, one I never read by Gene Stratton Porter. Maybe it was nostalgia, but I decided I wanted to read it and grabbed a copy of Freckles to reread first to reacquaint myself with that world.
The author was a conservationist and her writing reflects her love of the woods and swamp. The Limberlost is a real place in Indiana, mostly gone now. She evokes the feel of that world so well, the flowers, trees, animals, and especially the birds. Her descriptions are just lovely, though she's clever at showing the grimmer aspects of the swamp. Mrs. Duncan's misadventure contrasts well as a reminder with Freckle's daily walks with his 'chickens'.
This was also probably one of the first romances I read. The growing relationship between Freckles and Angel is sweet and pure. The book certainly harks back to a different time, in some ways simpler though there is evil in the story also. My young heart fell in love with the poor Irish orphan with one hand, and I'm not ashamed to admit some of those twinges still existed as I reread his story.
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LibraryThing member cmbohn
Themes: belonging, nature, overcoming challenges, love, family
Setting: the Limberlost swamp in Indiana, 19th century
I loved this quiet little classic. Freckles was raised in an orphanage. He has only one hand, no friends, no family, and no prospects for a job. He doesn't even have a name, just
Freckles may not look like much, but once his is shown some kindness, he repays it with his complete loyalty and hard work. He learns to love the swamp and the creatures that live there. He gets to know all the birds and plants and trees there and makes friends with them. He falls in love and faces a gang of thieves. And it all has a happy ending.
It sounds like it would be unbearably sweet and sappy, but it's not. I really enjoyed this book. I'm counting it for my 50 states challenge. I had no idea there was a swamp in Indiana, and now I'll have to read more about it. 4 stars.
Setting: the Limberlost swamp in Indiana, 19th century
I loved this quiet little classic. Freckles was raised in an orphanage. He has only one hand, no friends, no family, and no prospects for a job. He doesn't even have a name, just
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Freckles. But he arrives at Mclean's lumber camp and is willing to do anything at all, if he is given a chance. Mclean feels sorry for the boy and decides to take him on, giving him the name of his own father, and makes him the guard of the camp. His job is to walk along the trail through the swamp, seven miles or so, and make sure that the lumber is safe from thieves.Freckles may not look like much, but once his is shown some kindness, he repays it with his complete loyalty and hard work. He learns to love the swamp and the creatures that live there. He gets to know all the birds and plants and trees there and makes friends with them. He falls in love and faces a gang of thieves. And it all has a happy ending.
It sounds like it would be unbearably sweet and sappy, but it's not. I really enjoyed this book. I'm counting it for my 50 states challenge. I had no idea there was a swamp in Indiana, and now I'll have to read more about it. 4 stars.
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LibraryThing member arelenriel
This is the first of Stratton-Porters Limberlost book. This is a prequel to both Girl of the Limberlost and Song of the Cardinal (this one has not been re-printed you can find it at the Gutenberg Project). These books are excellent both as stories and in their descriptins of the wetlands biome.
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Freckles is also an inspiring tale of a young man who does not believe that his lack of an arm disables him in any way. Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
An old story - old even when I first read it decades ago - about a crippled red-headed boy who finds where he belongs in the world, as he makes friends in a lumber camp, and learns to love the creatures of the swamp - the Limberlost.
LibraryThing member KatieWallace
CLASSIC! The kind of book that children should be strapped down to a bed and forced to listen to--if they get over the fact that it's older than their grandmother, they will find a story to cherish
LibraryThing member klanzures
It was really good, but I have to admit I got a little bit tired of Freckles by the end. Still....
LibraryThing member ascexis
Oh, Victorian morality stories about the nobility of suffering, and the redemptive power of hard work, how I love you.
Gene Stratton Porter (and not Jean as they have above, good grief) wrote a lot of books in this vein -- the healing power of the natural world and the nobility of suffering, and
Violet Needham does something similar, but less overtly Christian, and I suspect that is a function of the differences between UK and US attitudes to public avowals of religion.
Which isn't really a review of the book, which is a rather enjoyable amble through the tribulations of one-handed, red-headed orphan, Freckles, whose courage and intrinsic goodness make him beloved by all. Which sounds awful, and somehow, it's not.
Gene Stratton Porter (and not Jean as they have above, good grief) wrote a lot of books in this vein -- the healing power of the natural world and the nobility of suffering, and
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the purity and rewards from mixing the two. Rewards such as marriage, of course, or a good death, or other similarly unmodern offerings, but she's *is* product of a particular time and set of attitudes that tried to make bearable a difficult world. She fits in with authors like Susan Coolidge, L.M. Montgomery, L. M. Alcott, who I also like, who don't quite manage the complete Dr. Pangloss depiction of the world, and reality and their own humanity creeps in to gentle what might otherwise be a harsh Christian sententiousness. Violet Needham does something similar, but less overtly Christian, and I suspect that is a function of the differences between UK and US attitudes to public avowals of religion.
Which isn't really a review of the book, which is a rather enjoyable amble through the tribulations of one-handed, red-headed orphan, Freckles, whose courage and intrinsic goodness make him beloved by all. Which sounds awful, and somehow, it's not.
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LibraryThing member sara_k
Freckles has wonderful descriptions. Gene Stratton Porter brings the deep forest and swamp of Linberlost to life with both broad background to detail of colour and sound. The vast presence of the forest with its sounds and silences and the feelings of fear and loneliness they can raise in people
The story reminds me of some Louisa May Alcott plot. A maimed orphan looking for legitimate work stumbles into a lumber camp. His honesty, enthusiasm, and persistance get him a chance from the Boss. Known only as Freckles, the boy must twice a day walk the 7 mile perimeter of a plot of forest making sure that poachers are not skimming the best of the trees out of the forest before the crew can get to the job. It is a hard lonely job but Freckles is drawn from his fear by the lush details of the wildlife. Friendships and care blossom when the fear has gone and Freckles enears himself to his host family, his boss, and a naturalist photographer and the young girl who accompanies her into the forest.
Freckles falls in love with the girl. She saves him from terrible trouble at one point and he saves her life, at great risk to himself. An orphan with little if any future, Freckles knows that he cannot even hope to have his love for the "Swamp Angel" to be returned. The angel seems to care for him as well but it cannot be. Freckles works hard to educate himself and his boss sees a future for Freckles of college and a job in the logging company. Everyone, well almost everyone, mentions his politeness and gentility.
Surprise! Though Freckles is an orphan they find his family (Uncle) and discover that Freckles is a wealthy member of a Noble Irish family. This family was not aware of his existance until lately and they have straight away come to America to find him and restore him to his rightful place. Now Freckles and the Angel's love can be requited because they are of similar class.
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are exquisitely rendered. The story reminds me of some Louisa May Alcott plot. A maimed orphan looking for legitimate work stumbles into a lumber camp. His honesty, enthusiasm, and persistance get him a chance from the Boss. Known only as Freckles, the boy must twice a day walk the 7 mile perimeter of a plot of forest making sure that poachers are not skimming the best of the trees out of the forest before the crew can get to the job. It is a hard lonely job but Freckles is drawn from his fear by the lush details of the wildlife. Friendships and care blossom when the fear has gone and Freckles enears himself to his host family, his boss, and a naturalist photographer and the young girl who accompanies her into the forest.
Freckles falls in love with the girl. She saves him from terrible trouble at one point and he saves her life, at great risk to himself. An orphan with little if any future, Freckles knows that he cannot even hope to have his love for the "Swamp Angel" to be returned. The angel seems to care for him as well but it cannot be. Freckles works hard to educate himself and his boss sees a future for Freckles of college and a job in the logging company. Everyone, well almost everyone, mentions his politeness and gentility.
Surprise! Though Freckles is an orphan they find his family (Uncle) and discover that Freckles is a wealthy member of a Noble Irish family. This family was not aware of his existance until lately and they have straight away come to America to find him and restore him to his rightful place. Now Freckles and the Angel's love can be requited because they are of similar class.
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LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
This was one of my favourite books as a child, and I still find it very charming. Very 19th century, and there are a lot of assumptions that we would not make today. Read it on its own terms. If you can't accept the story, at least enjoy the descriptions of Limberlost.
LibraryThing member carolynsuarez
still as applicable today as when it was written.
LibraryThing member Doey
Smarmy, but sort of sweet. Wouldn't read it unless one was without a book completely.
LibraryThing member the4otts
I read this book a few years ago & am now reading it to my boys for our literature (ages 10 and 13). Wonderful story about a remarkable young man, Freckles. Inspirational for everyone
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
This is a book for children, written when in a naive, innocent style. While its message of perseverence is a good one, the books suffers from an overly-optimistic outlook. This book would suit anyone who believes that Leave It To Beaver was an accurate representation of life in the 1950s. While it
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may be pleasant to wish life were like that, it ignores reality. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Love Freckles. OK, it's way too convenient an ending, not to mention the belief in "good blood" - but it's still a magnificent story. The descriptions of the Limberlost alone - the beauty and the horror of it, the dangers and the wonder - make it wonderful to read; Freckles, and his utter
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determination to achieve and fulfill his promises as soon as he's given trust and responsibility, make it heart-wrenching and glorious. There are funny bits (including the Angel's first encounter with Black Jack's men...and the second, for that matter), parts that make me cry every time I read it, and parts that make me hold my breath with excitement (even though I know, pretty much, how it comes out). I first read Freckles in a B&B, on a rainy day, when I hadn't brought my own books (ok, hadn't brought _enough_ books); I've reread it at least a dozen times, and I expect I'll read it at least as many times again. I like some of the author's other books, but Freckles has a special place in my heart. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I almost want to put this on my wishlist and so I can own it, at least for a while. I'm pretty sure I loved this as a young teen, but cannot remember.
LibraryThing member atimco
Horatio Alger meets L. M. Montgomery in Gene Stratton Porter's Freckles, the story of a one-handed orphan who makes good. Freckles wins the hearts of everyone around him and proves himself a man in the challenging environment of the swamp. It's a bit sentimental and farfetched for my tastes (and
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does anyone else think it's weird that several main characters don't have proper names—just "Swamp Angel" and "the Bird Woman"?). I've loved A Girl of the Limberlost since my teen years and I think I was putting this one off because I knew it could not be as good. Well, it isn't. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bandings
I have read FRECKLES by Gene Stratton-Porter several times, years apart. Each time I am delighted to rediscover the delightfulness of the story. Freckles is an orphan who finds a home, family and self-value after being hired to be a watchman for a lumber company. His job is to walk the perimeter of
The book is written in the style of the early 1900s, including innocence and hardships we do not often know today.
The character of the adult Freckles also appears in the book GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST, also by Stratton-Porter.
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the Limberlost swamp (which I had thought for the first several readings to be located in Pennsylvania, while it is, in reality, in Indiana.) He faces unique challenges because of his job and physical limitations, but through all proves he is capable. The book is written in the style of the early 1900s, including innocence and hardships we do not often know today.
The character of the adult Freckles also appears in the book GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST, also by Stratton-Porter.
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LibraryThing member FriendsLibraryFL
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting,
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preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work. Show Less
LibraryThing member kslade
Good story of a guy in the same area as A Girl of the Limberlost. Healing power of nature.
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Original publication date
1904