Freckles

Title: Freckles

Author: Gene Stratton Porter

Rating: D/F (0 stars out of 3 possible)

Not Recommended

Audience: 5th grade and up

Even as I write this, I toy with a "C minus" rating for dear Gene Stratton Porter. Porter was a turn of the century writer and naturalist who rightly receives credit for the impact she had on conservation in Indiana. I also have a lot of reverence for classic literature, and while I appreciate what Porter was trying to do with this book, I have to be honest with my readers (all two of them) that this novel sadly does not quite stand the test of time.

My 5th grade daughter and I read this aloud together and I feel it is an example of a classic that would truly benefit from an update and an abridgment. While the plot is slow in developing, the chief drawback is the dated language, which is probably fixable.

The main story concerns a disabled, orphaned young man ("Freckles") who finds a job and home protecting lumber interests in the massive Indiana swamp/forest known as the Limberlost. Freckles is mostly disabled by his own low self-esteem, however, and despite his meaningful job and caring friends, he still questions his worth in life.

Even "The Swamp Angel," object of Freckles affection and unattainable daughter of the wealthy "Man of Affairs," is unable to convince Freckles of his value and her unconditional love. Porter solves this conflict by providing miraculous proof of Freckles parentage. Not only does she provide this solution at the last possible moment, she also provides the miracle of a rags to riches story.

This is a dated, unsatisfying and glaringly maudlin denouement by our modern standards. Apparently it's not enough that Freckles parents were loving and honorable; for Freckles to truly accept himself and feel worthy of the Angel's love, he must also be inexplicably wealthy! (And Irish! And royalty!) The book could even gain some credibility just by naming it's characters instead of couching them in vague nicknames: "Angel." "Bird Woman." Why are McLean and Duncan more believable characters? Because they weren't called "Boss" for the duration of the novel.

There are valuable themes in this book and my daughter and I enjoyed digging them out almost as much as we enjoyed some harmless mocking of the language and description. ("He's kissing her footprints again, Mom!") Freckles is a committed young man who works with diligence. Romantic love is secondary to service and sacrifice. Unconditional love overcomes handicaps. The natural world is lovingly represented in the Limberlost swamp.

Unfortunately, it will be the rare family and still rarer 5th grader, who can untangle the archaic prose of this swamp to find some valuable timber within. Alternatively, time would be better spent on Alcott or Dickens.