4 h 45 minAudiobook2 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 117 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 117 pagesAbout this book
What if the person who opens your world expects your letters, but never writes back?
Jerusha Abbott grows up under the strict rules of the John Grier Home. When a trustee notices her writing talent, an anonymous benefactor offers her a college education. Calling herself Judy, she enters a world of friendships and possibilities. In return, she must write regularly to the man she calls Daddy-Long-Legs.
Judy’s letters brim with humor, curiosity, and ambition. Sally McBride brings warmth and companionship; wealthy Julia Pendleton makes Judy feel the distance between their lives. As Julia’s uncle, Jervis Pendleton, becomes important to her, Judy faces a deeper question: can she accept another person’s help and still choose her own path?
What you’ll discover
- Letters full of life Discover Judy through candid letters that turn college discoveries into moments of wit and delight.
- An education beyond lessons Follow an aspiring writer as she explores friendships, unfamiliar homes, and her own ambitions.
- The ache of belonging Feel the gap between Judy’s childhood and the memories her fellow students take for granted.
- Gratitude meets stubbornness Share Judy’s struggle to welcome kindness without giving up the right to make her choices.
- Room for hopeful romance Watch love become part of Judy’s wish to shape a life on her own terms.
Is it for you?
Readers who enjoy witty letters, college friendships, and hopeful romances will especially enjoy Judy’s mix of gratitude, stubbornness, and ambition.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
Who’s who
- Judy AbbottAn aspiring writer raised in an orphanage, Judy approaches college with curiosity, humor, and a fierce wish for independence.
- Daddy-Long-LegsJudy’s anonymous benefactor pays for her education and receives her letters without writing back.
- Sally McBrideJudy’s college friend introduces her to the warmth of family life.
- Julia PendletonA wealthy fellow student, Julia connects Judy to a social world far removed from the orphanage.
- Jervis PendletonJulia’s uncle takes an interest in Judy and becomes increasingly important to her.
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- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 117 pages: 7,95 USD when you start free, 13,95 USD on its own.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Daddy-Long-Legs
by Jean Webster· 1912
An orphan writes to the stranger funding her college education.
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Language: Deutsch
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 5
Jerusha Abbott grows up in the John Grier Home, where children live by strict rules and depend on other people’s charity. Her prospects change when a trustee notices her talent for writing. He offers to pay for college on one unusual condition: she must write him regular letters about her progress, though he will not answer them. She catches only a glimpse of him, with an enormous shadow stretching across a wall, and gives him a private name: Daddy-Long-Legs.
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The author
Jean Webster
1876–1916 · American novelist
Jean Webster was the pen name of Alice Jane Chandler Webster, an American novelist born in Fredonia, New York, in 1876. She later lived in New York City, where she died in 1916. Her novels include When Patty Went to College (1903), Daddy-Long-Legs (1912), and Dear Enemy (1915).
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What is Daddy-Long-Legs about?
Daddy-Long-Legs follows Judy Abbott, an orphan who attends college with support from an anonymous trustee. Her letters to him describe friendships, studies, her ambition to become a writer, and her growing determination to shape her own life.
Why does Judy call her benefactor Daddy-Long-Legs?
Judy sees her benefactor only briefly and notices the long-legged shadow he casts. Because she does not know his identity, she invents the affectionate nickname Daddy-Long-Legs and uses it when writing the letters required by their arrangement.
Is Daddy-Long-Legs a romance?
Yes, romance becomes an important part of Daddy-Long-Legs, but much of the novel concerns Judy’s education and personal growth. Her feelings about love are closely tied to questions of money, gratitude, social standing, and the right to make her own decisions.
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