Freckles

Written by Gene Stratton-Porter

Narrated by Mary Starkey

Freckles of the Limberlost Swamp, has entertained millions of people since the turn of the century.  It is an engaging story about a courageous young man determined to overcome the hardships life has handed him and make a better life for himself. Left as an abused and handicapped child on the steps of an orphanage, Freckles grows up under horrid conditions. Unwilling to let his past defeat him, he sets out to make his way in the world.  Uneducated, and unskilled, Freckles beats the odds, and lands a job with the Grand Rapid Lumber Co. as the  timber watchman. But in order to keep the job he must face malicious timber thieves, snakes, and other creatures in the swamp. Like everything he does, Freckles attacks the challenges he faces with strength and determination, gaining the respect and admiration of his boss, co-workers, and even the creatures of the Limberlost swamp.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books in Motion
• Release date: Jan 15, 1985
• ISBN: 9781596070127

Gene Stratton-Porter

Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) was an American author, photographer, and naturalist. Born in Indiana, she was raised in a family of eleven children. In 1874, she moved with her parents to Wabash, Indiana, where her mother would die in 1875. When she wasn’t studying literature, music, and art at school and with tutors, Stratton-Porter developed her interest in nature by spending much of her time outdoors. In 1885, after a year-long courtship, she became engaged to druggist Charles Dorwin Porter, with whom she would have a daughter. She soon grew tired of traditional family life, however, and dedicated herself to writing by 1895. At their cabin in Indiana, she conducted lengthy studies of the natural world, focusing on birds and ecology. She published her stories, essays, and photographs in Outing, Metropolitan, and Good Housekeeping before embarking on a career as a novelist. Freckles (1904) and A Girl of the Limberlost (1909) were both immediate bestsellers, entertaining countless readers with their stories of youth, romance, and survival. Much of her works, fiction and nonfiction, are set in Indiana’s Limberlost Swamp, a vital wetland connected to the Wabash River. As the twentieth century progressed, the swamp was drained and cultivated as farmland, making Stratton-Porter’s depictions a vital resource for remembering and celebrating the region. Over the past several decades, however, thousands of acres of the wetland have been restored, marking the return of countless species to the Limberlost, which for Stratton-Porter was always “a word with which to conjure; a spot wherein to revel.”

Reviews for Freckles

[hollerama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[Dove family · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely, bar none, one of the best romances ever written. I have read it 5 times. This is what romance should be in the beginning. This kind of love.

[tess_w · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a short novel about an orphaned boy coming of age at the turn of the century. The pace of the book is very slow; so slow that in fact I was tempted to pitch the book. Mind numbing boring!

[Whitney Stevens · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is such a fun and exciting book. I loved it!

[Shannon Durand · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So beautiful! Such a sweet story about a boy who loved everything and everyone deeply.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a short novel about an orphaned boy coming of age at the turn of the century. The pace of the book is very slow; so slow that in fact I was tempted to pitch the book. Mind numbing boring!

[marthajeanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good story of a guy in the same area as A Girl of the Limberlost. Healing power of nature.

[bandings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[nittnut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[carolynsuarez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

still as applicable today as when it was written.

[the4otts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[doey_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Smarmy, but sort of sweet. Wouldn't read it unless one was without a book completely.

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[cmbohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Themes: belonging, nature, overcoming challenges, love, familySetting: the Limberlost swamp in Indiana, 19th centuryI 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. 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.

[hollyms-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[knitbusy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[ascexis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[alexthehunn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 may be pleasant to wish life were like that, it ignores reality.

[klanzures · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was really good, but I have to admit I got a little bit tired of Freckles by the end. Still....

[merrymary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[arelenriel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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. 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.