Classics Challenge: Freckles

Oh my, this was my draft from way back in May that I never posted but thought I did! It's a good thing I have been keeping a list on my pages or I might have thought I had one catagory more than I did. I'm actually on my last book. I did pick Don Quixote as that last one so it's still gonna be a close call whether I can finish by the end of the year but I think I can do it. 

After Anna K., I needed a little bit lighter read so I went with Freckles. I read it's sequel, Girl of the Limberlost, last year and really enjoyed it but didn't realize until later that this one was supposed to come first. That said, the stories are only loosely tied together and I don't think it hurt me one bit to read them out of order.

This is another great nature lore book by Gene Stratton-Porter. I challenge even the most city-loving person to read this and not want to spend an afternoon outside, at least at a park if not out on a hike or remote quiet spot where one could find some unusual specimens to observe.

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this one as much as it's sequel. It didn't tug at my heart quite in the same way and the romance part was actually my least favorite part but overall, I like it a lot. They are very similar in their sometimes too high level of sugary sweetness and number of coincidences but I'm okay with that. I liked that the plot of this one was a little more unexpected. And one can hardly go wrong with an enduring red headed freckled orphan (but not the same as Anne Shirley, this one's a boy :-) Yes, it's dated and their are some sentiments, especially in the ending, that make you go, "Hmm...not so sure about that" but if you need a little bit of happiness in your reading pile, I don't think you can go wrong. Just be prepared to spend the next weekend hiking or sitting with your nature journal!

Freckles is my Romance Classic for the Back to the Classics Challenge. Go check out books and Chocolate for more info on the Back to Classics Challenge.