Novels Gene Stratton-Porter

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a girl of limberlost (1909), highly successful , best-known work, brought worldwide recognition. central character, elnora comstock, lonely, poverty-stricken girl living on farm in adams county, goes limberlost swamp escape troubles , earns money pay education collecting , selling moth specimens. main character s strong, individualistic nature similar stratton-porter s. literary critics called novel written , wholesome story. initial sales of third novel, @ foot of rainbow (1907), 2 friends enjoy fishing , trapping, disappointing, stratton-porter reached peak of popularity publication of next novel, harvester (1911). reached number 1 on best-seller list in 1912.

freckles (1904), girl of limberlost (1909), , harvester (1911) set in wooded wetlands , swamps of northeast indiana. stratton-porter loved area , wildlife , had documented them extensively. inexpensive reprints of freckles , girl of limberlost brought stratton-porter public s attention in united states abroad. translations of book other languages increased international audience. in 1910, when stratton-porter reached long-term agreement doubleday, page , company publish books, agreed provide 1 manuscript each year, alternating between novels , nonfiction nature books.

stratton-porter s next novel, laddie: true blue story (1913), of best-selling novels, included elements corresponded life. written while supervised construction of home @ sylvan lake in noble county, indiana, , described autobiographical novel. narrative told in first person twelfth child of stanton family. title character modeled after stratton-porter s deceased older brother, leander, whom stratton-porter nicknamed laddie. in stratton-porter s own family, laddie connected land , identifies father s vocation of farming.

michael o halloran (1915), seventh novel, inspired newsboy had encountered @ philadelphia, while visiting daughter, jeannette, , family. daughter of land (1918), next novel, did not sell earlier works. on time, sales of stratton-porter s novels had declined , 1919 status best-selling author began fade. undeterred, continued write until death in 1924.

her father s daughter (1921), 1 of stratton-porter s last novels, set in southern california, outside los angeles, had moved around 1920. novel biased against immigrants of asian descent. judith reick long, 1 of stratton-porter s biographers, stated world war i-era racial prejudice , nativism prevalent in united states , not unusual anti-asian in southern california @ time. barbara olenyik morrow, of biographers, explained book intentionally playing era s ethnic prejudices. literary review, ignoring anti-asian content, noted wholesome charm.

the white flag (1923), criticized old-fashioned melodrama, failed make bestseller list; however, story serialized in housekeeping magazine beginning in 1923, in advance of book s release. time of publication, stratton-porter s interests had shifted toward filmmaking.

the keeper of bees (1925) , magic garden (1927) last of stratton-porter s novels completed before death. both of them written @ home on catalina island , published posthumously. keeper of bees story world war veteran regains heath through restorative power , beauty of nature. story serialized in mccall s magazine february through september 1925 , published in book form later year. magic garden, girl of divorced parents, written 2 granddaughters, parents divorced when young. filmmaker james leo meehan, stratton-porter s business partner , son-in-law, wrote screenplay of novel shortly after stratton-porter had completed manuscript.

millions of copies of stratton-porter’s novels sold , of them became best sellers, literary establishment criticized them unrealistic, virtuous, , idealistic. despite criticisms, popular among readers of novels. stratton-porter once claimed, time, hearts of readers, , files of publisher find me ultimate place.