A Daughter of the Land (1918) by Gene Stratton Porter is, above all, a love song of a woman and the land from which she sprung. Kate Bates, tireless and hardworking, strapping and robust, stubborn and headstrong, is a sterling example of the American work ethic, the youngest daughter of a tight-fisted land baron -- Adam Bates, the Land King of Bates Corners, Hartley, Indiana -- and the sibling of a whole brood of Bates sons and daughters. The family has an intense relationship with the many acres of land they possess. Kate is the only one who rebels against ...

HER FATHER'S DAUGHTER (1921) by Gene Stratton Porter is the story of Linda Strong, the titular heroine, a determined and opinionated young woman growing up in California in the 1920s. What could have been a typically charming and heartfelt story of personal discovery, loves and relationships by the beloved naturalist author is unfortunately marred by the strongly pronounced racist and anti-immigrant mindset of the heroine and several other characters. It must be pointed out that the racial prejudice portrayed here is typical of its time and must be viewed ...

At the Foot of the Rainbow (1907) by Gene Stratton Porter is the story of the complex bonds of friendship between Jimmy Malone and Dannie Macnoun, and the woman they both love. This edition includes introductory biographical material on the life and work of beloved Indiana author and naturalist Gene Stratton Porter.

The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter is the story of a Thoreau-esque idealist and naturalist and his search for the love of his dreams, the Dream Girl. David Langston, the Harvester, lives in the woods and harvests medicinal herbs which he sells for a living. Suddenly he encounters Ruth Jameson, the real flesh-and-blood girl that had appeared to him only in his imagination. The Harvester woos her with all the impossible idealistic extremes of his heart, against all odds and with a selfless intensity. An uplifting turn-of-the-century Indiana ...

Laddie, A True Blue Story (1913) by Gene Stratton Porter is a wonderful and semi-autobiographical novel of siblings, family bonds, struggles and loves, learning and nature, and the complex joys of growing up in the country at the turn of the past century. Little Sister tells us the story of her brother Laddie, and the whole family is glimpsed through her loving eyes. A classic uplifting tale of self-discovery for all ages.

Freckles (1904) by Gene Stratton Porter is the uplifting story of a plucky waif without a name and without one hand, disabled since infancy. Raised in a Chicago orphanage, he survives abuse and harsh circumstances and grows up a brave, loyal, and hardworking young man with a true capacity for self-sacrifice. Freckles becomes a timber guard in the Limberlost swamp in Indiana and exhibits extraordinary courage and resourcefulness on the job. He also falls in love with the Swamp Angel, a young girl whose beauty and kindness bring out the best in others. ...