9 h 21 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
At the edge of a vast swamp, a lonely young man asks for the chance to prove his worth.
Freckles has grown up in a Chicago orphanage, and his right hand is missing. Poor, shy and proud, he wants honest work. In Gene Stratton-Porter's novel, McLean gives him a chance: guard the valuable trees of the Limberlost against timber thieves. Every walk along the boundary tests his nerve.
The swamp frightens him at first, but its birds and trees begin to draw him in. Duncan and Mrs. Duncan offer a warm home. The Bird Woman shares her knowledge, while a young woman Freckles calls the Angel treats him as an equal. Yet Black Jack and the timber thieves threaten the work that gives him purpose.
What you’ll discover
- Courage on the boundary Walk beside a nervous young guard as he faces fear and takes responsibility.
- A wild place awakens Discover the birds, moths and trees that turn the Limberlost from a threat into a wonder.
- Kindness with a home Meet the practical, warmhearted Duncans, who offer Freckles his first real taste of family life.
- The Angel's quiet promise Follow a tender devotion rooted in the simple joy of being treated as an equal.
- A place to belong Explore a young man's longing for a name, a home and a sense of worth.
Is it for you?
This book suits you if you like warm, old-fashioned stories about courage, kindness and the outdoors, or if you love birds and wild places. It may suit you less if you want a fast plot, modern language or a skeptical view of human nature.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boy with one hand asks for work
- The job is to guard a swamp
- The Duncans take him in
- Fear gives way to wonder
- A lady in the swamp changes everything
- A room of trees and a hidden shrine
- Danger closes in on the line
- What belonging and courage really mean
- How the story is told and what to watch
Who’s who
- FrecklesA young orphan with an Irish way of speaking with one hand, raised in a Chicago orphanage, who wants to prove his worth by guarding the swamp faithfully.
- McLeanThe lumber company boss who takes a chance on Freckles and watches over him while expecting honest work in return.
- DuncanA teamster who lodges Freckles, teaches him the ways of the swamp and stands by him as a loyal friend.
- Mrs. DuncanDuncan's warm, sharp-tongued wife, who feeds and mothers Freckles and gives him his first real family life.
- The AngelA gentle, bright young woman who treats Freckles as an equal and becomes the object of his quiet devotion.
- The Bird WomanA kind, learned photographer of birds who teaches Freckles to know and love the creatures of the Limberlost.
- Black JackA rough man among the timber thieves who threatens Freckles and the company's trees.
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- Audiobook
- 9 h 21 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 13 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- 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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Language: English
“A fire which destroyed a great deal of property in Geneva served to demonstrate Mrs. Porter’s capacity for leadership.”
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
A boy with one hand asks for work
The story opens at a lumber camp at the edge of the Limberlost. A young man arrives, thin and nervous, with red hair and a face covered in freckles. The men soon call him Freckles, and he uses no other name. He says he was raised in a Chicago orphanage and that he does not know who his parents were. His right hand is missing, and he carries that loss like a brand.
He has come to see the boss, a lumberman named McLean. McLean has heard every sort of story from men who want work, and he is not easy to move. He sees at once that Freckles is weak from hunger and has a missing hand. A sensible employer would send him away.
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The author
Gene Stratton-Porter
1863–1924 · American novelist and naturalist
Gene Stratton-Porter was an American writer and naturalist born in Wabash County, Indiana, in 1863. She lived in Indiana before moving to California. She wrote novels, nature books, and magazine articles. Her novels include Freckles, published in 1904, and A Girl of the Limberlost, published in 1909. She died in Los Angeles in 1924.
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What is Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter about?
It follows a young orphan with one hand who takes a job guarding a lumber company's boundary in the Limberlost swamp in Indiana. He finds friendship, a love of nature and a sense of belonging as he faces danger.
Where is the Limberlost in Freckles?
The Limberlost was a large swamp and forest in northern Indiana. The author lived nearby and knew it well, so her descriptions of its birds, trees and moths come from real observation.
Why is the main character called Freckles?
Freckles is a nickname given because of the spots on his face. He knows no other name, since he grew up in an orphanage and never learned who his parents were.
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