6 h 37 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 162 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 162 pagesAbout this book
What can a cheerful child change in a house ruled by duty and a town worn down by sorrow?
Eleven-year-old Pollyanna Whittier arrives in Beldingsville, Vermont, with no parents and one unusual habit. Her father has taught her the glad game: finding something to be thankful for, even when life hurts. Her stern Aunt Polly offers a home, but its strict routines and bare attic room leave little space for warmth.
In Eleanor H. Porter's novel, Pollyanna finds friendship with Nancy, her aunt's plain-spoken maid, and carries her game into the town. Complaining Mrs. Snow and solitary John Pendleton meet a child who looks past their bitterness. With humor and affection, the story asks whether gladness can ease real sorrow—and where even a hopeful heart meets its limits.
What you’ll discover
- The glad game Discover a child's way of finding gratitude without escaping the troubles before her.
- A house of rules Step into Aunt Polly's orderly home, where duty leaves little room for open affection.
- Friendship behind closed doors Meet lonely neighbors whose familiar complaints begin to shift when Pollyanna comes calling.
- Warmth with a smile Enjoy short, lively scenes where humor sits beside loneliness, kindness, and the wish to belong.
- Hope with real limits Explore the difficult question beneath the sweetness: how much can a hopeful outlook bear?
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like warm, old-fashioned stories about kindness, small towns and families found late. It also suits anyone curious where the word Pollyanna comes from. If you want irony or dark realism, its sweetness may feel too gentle.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- An orphan is sent to a stern aunt
- A bare attic and a cheerful girl
- The glad game and its beginning
- Duty at home against joy in the heart
- Pollyanna wins the town one door at a time
- The church, the quarrels and a rejoicing text
- Aunt Polly and the cost of a closed heart
- What the book says about gladness
- How the story is told and why it lasted
Who’s who
- Pollyanna WhittierAn eleven-year-old orphan who plays the glad game her father taught her, and who wants to make a home with her aunt.
- Miss Polly HarringtonPollyanna's strict, wealthy aunt, who takes the girl in out of duty and keeps her own feelings under tight control.
- NancyThe young maid in Miss Polly's house, plain-spoken and loyal, who quickly becomes Pollyanna's friend and helper.
- Mrs. SnowA bedridden woman in town who complains about everything and who slowly warms to the girl who visits her.
- Mr. John PendletonA rich, solitary man on the hill, thought bitter by the town, who is surprised by a child's friendship.
- Jimmy BeanA poor orphan boy who wants a family and a place in the world, and whom Pollyanna tries to help.
- Dr. ChiltonThe kind town doctor, who befriends Pollyanna on his rounds and has a quiet connection to her aunt.
- Rev. Paul FordThe local minister, discouraged by his divided congregation, who finds new heart in a child's words about rejoicing.
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 37 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 162 pages: USD 8.95 when you start free, USD 14.95 on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 162 pages: USD 15.95 when you start free, USD 21.95 on its own.
- 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
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
An orphan is sent to a stern aunt
The story opens in the town of Beldingsville, Vermont, in the house of Miss Polly Harrington. She is a wealthy, unmarried woman of strict habits. Her house is neat, her days run by the clock, and her feelings are kept firmly out of sight. One morning she tells her maid, Nancy, that a niece is coming to live with her.
The niece is Pollyanna Whittier, eleven years old. Her mother was Miss Polly's older sister, who married a poor minister and went to live in the West. Years ago the family broke apart over that marriage, and the sisters hardly spoke again. Now both of Pollyanna's parents are dead, and the child has no one else. Miss Polly takes her in out of duty, and she says so plainly.
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The author
Eleanor H. Porter
1868–1920 · American novelist
Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920) was an American novelist born in Littleton, New Hampshire. She lived in Massachusetts and died in Cambridge. She wrote novels for children and adults. Her books include Miss Billy (1911), Miss Billy’s Decision (1912), Pollyanna (1913), and Miss Billy—Married (1914).
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What is Pollyanna about?
Pollyanna is about an orphaned eleven-year-old girl who goes to live with her stern aunt in Vermont. She brings a habit called the glad game, finding something to be glad about in everything, and slowly changes the town.
What is the glad game in Pollyanna?
The glad game is a habit Pollyanna learned from her father, a minister. It means finding something to be glad about in every situation, however bad. It began when she hoped for a doll and got crutches.
When was Pollyanna written and is it a true story?
Eleanor H. Porter published Pollyanna in 1913. It is a work of fiction, set in the small town of Beldingsville, Vermont. The characters and events are invented, though the town life reflects early twentieth century America.
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