A Girl of the Limberlost

Gene Stratton Porter

Elnora Comstock lives at the edge of the Limberlost swamp with her mother. Her father had died the day she was born and her mother has not forgiven her for his death. Elnora is ready for high school but has to go to town to do so. Her mother discourages her, but she is determined. She arrives to discover she is dressed all wrong, she has to pay tuition, and she has to buy books. She has no lunch because someone stole it from where she stashed it. The only thing that went right was her algebra. She could do problems no one else in the class could.

When she goes home her Mrs. Comstock expects to hear she is giving up the notion of school. But Elnora is determined. With the prompting of some loving neighbors, she starts looking for ways to earn the money she will need for school. The Comstocks barely have the money to pay the land taxes so Elnora finds another way. She learns in a few days that she has a wealth of nature on her doorstep. The Bird Lady in town collects and pays for moths. Elnora can sell the Indian arrow heads she finds at the bank. With this knowledge, Elnora is able to get together the money she needs and starts into high school.

She quickly picks up a stray little boy who has a bad home life with his father. When his father is found dead, Elnora's neighbors take Billy. Now he is her devoted slave. Elnora also starts to make friends at school. Over the next few years, she learns what satisfaction it is to earn her way. Despite her mother, Elnora forges on with the help of their neighbors, Billy, and people at school. She even begins to believe that she may be able to go on to college after she finishes her four years.

A Girl of the Limberlost was published in 1909. Many of the social mores are dated, yet ring true because that is how people acted then - well, pretty much. At times the niceness gets a bit over the top. When Elnora has to face down a vain girl from the big city, she understands what the girl is trying to do. Not only does she not get upset at the girl's wickedness, she understands the reasons and forgives her. She refuses to take action until the other girl herself gives Elnora permission.

I enjoyed A Girl of the Limberlost but it is definitely old fashioned and idealistic. The current tween age group would get it, but probably wouldn't appreciate it.

The swamp, forest, moths, plants, and all of nature comes to life in Gene Stratton Porter's novel. Even though I grew up in Ohio and this takes place in Indiana, I only recall seeing white and gray moths. Elnora is able to catch moths to earn money. The colorful descriptions Porter gives sound like butterflies, not moths, but the two species are definitely divided in this book. When a woman dresses up like a moth for a party, she has a beautiful ensemble, not something drab and colorless. Porter describes the swamp and woods and captures the feel of the area. She has some beautiful word pictures of the sounds and sights of the area.

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