5 h 20 minAudiobook4 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
What can a country boy carry into New York City when he has little money and no powerful family?
In From Farm to Fortune, Horatio Alger Jr. follows a young country hero from a hard start toward the opportunities of the city. The journey tests more than his ambition. Among strangers who may cheat a newcomer, he needs to find a way forward without giving up the honesty that Alger places at the heart of success.
This novel for young readers brings Alger's faith in work, courage and kindness into focus. A humble beginning need not close every door, but effort alone is not the whole story. Luck and help from others also matter in his world. The promise is not simply wealth, but the chance to become comfortable and respected.
What you’ll discover
- A start without advantages Follow a country boy whose lack of money does not put ambition beyond reach.
- Character before money Explore Alger's belief that honesty gives a young hero something more valuable than cash.
- The city's double promise Enter a world where opportunity draws newcomers and strangers may take advantage of them.
- Effort meets good fortune Consider how hard work shares its place with luck in Alger's picture of progress.
- Success with a moral Discover a view of getting ahead that asks a boy to hold onto kindness.
Who will love it
For readers who love adventure stories with a clear moral, and anyone curious about how Americans once pictured success. Honesty, courage and kindness guide a country boy as he sets out to make his way in the city.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A humble start can be a strength
- Honesty is the hero's real capital
- The city tests the country boy
- Luck, effort and the limits of the dream
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From Farm to Fortune
by Horatio Alger Jr. · 1905
A country boy leaves home for the city, where honesty, work and kindness are his tools for making his way.
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In short
From Farm to Fortune is a novel for young readers by Horatio Alger Jr., the American writer who made the poor boy who rises by effort his lifelong subject. It appeared in print after his death in 1899, and it follows the pattern that readers of his day knew well: a young country hero, a hard start, a move toward the city and a test of character.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A humble start can be a strength
Alger begins from a belief that a poor and ordinary beginning does not close a door. His heroes are country boys with little money, few friends and no powerful family. What they have is health, a willing spirit and a sense of right and wrong.
For Alger this is not a weakness to be hidden. Farm life teaches early rising, steady work and plain dealing, and those habits travel well when a boy leaves home. A reader is meant to see that the lack of money is a problem to be met, not a verdict on the person.
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What is From Farm to Fortune about?
It is a novel for young readers about a country boy who leaves farm life and tries to make his way in the wider world. It stresses honesty, courage and hard work as the roads to success.
Who wrote From Farm to Fortune?
Horatio Alger Jr., an American author who died in 1899. He wrote many stories for boys about poor young heroes. The book was published after his death.
What is an Alger story?
It is a tale in which a poor, honest young hero rises through effort, courage and a little good luck. The term is also used to mean a success story that seems too simple.
The author
Horatio Alger Jr.
1832–1899 · American novelist
Horatio Alger Jr. (1832–1899) was an American novelist. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and died in Natick, Massachusetts. He moved to New York City in 1866. He wrote novels for young readers during the nineteenth century, including Ragged Dick (1868) and Fame and Fortune (1868).
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