Welcome to a new Series on the blog! Victoria’s Library! I am a huge reader. Always have been since I could first sound out the word C-A-T. I whizzed through Phonics and Reading, they were my favorite subjects as a 1st grader. Then later, as I grew older, I couldn’t get my hands on enough  books! I was always on a ravenous search for something new to read. Because I read a lot, I am sure there were a lot of moments for my parents when they were pulling their hair out! They were very careful over what they let their children read. Back then, I didn’t always take it with grace and understanding, and there were a few arguments. I am grateful now for their protection! There are a lot of trashy and downright yucky books out there! From my love of reading, I have come naturally on a love of books! I collect them and am constantly on the lookout for a steal on some of my favorites. I search high and low at the thrift stores and in Antique stores for those forgotten treasures. I especially love old and antique books. Even the smell of a well preserved old book, with the yellowing pages and the feel of the spine in my hand. . . gives me goosebumps. Yah, I know, I am a bit of a nerd.

So the first book in this series is probably one of my most favorites in the whole wide world! Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter. Yes, I have two copies. Don’t judge. 

Freckles is about a boy, with a maimed hand and a backstory no one knows. And when I say no one, I mean not even Freckles himself knows who he is or where he came from. All he knows, is that he grew up in an orphanage in the city, and when he became of age, he left and sought out work in the lumber camps of Mr. Mclean. Mclean took a liking to the boy, with his defiant, diligent and honest attitude and put him to work guarding an extremely valuable piece of the Limberlost forest.

Mclean gives Freckles many advantages and learns to love the boy. Treating him in many ways as his son. There is a little bit of jealousy amongst the crew as a result. While in the swamp one day, Freckles comes face to face with a beautiful girl whom he promptly names the “Swamp Angel”. She is a dearly sweet girl who brings the best out of Freckles. He helps her and a woman who studies the creatures of the swamp search for specimens and collect them.

Some of the trees Freckles is set to guard are so valuable that a trickster who used to work for Mclean desires them for himself and his gang. I won’t give away the ending because I hope you read it yourself. I especially love Gene Stratton Porter works because, intertwined in the beautiful story, is  a lot of natural history. It is done in such a tactful and interesting way that leaves me turning pages. The description of the animals, nature is so beautiful. The characters are so loveable, you are rooting for Freckles, adoring the Angel, feeling sympathy for Mclean and adoring a dear couple, the Duncans.

This book is such a lovely story and a wonderful addition to any library.  I was given this copy for my birthday last year after looking for one of the original Grosset and Dunlap editions for a long time! The illustrations are delightful, drawn into the margins of the book in such a whimsical way. It is a book I will treasure always and I love the story so much that I have read it at least a half a dozen times. If you read it, let me know what you think!

Have any of you read this book?

What do you think? Do you like the idea of the blog series?

By His Grace,

Victoria