Freckles

By: Gene Stratton-Porter

Narrated by: Mary Starkey

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Freckles, a plucky young man, lands a job as a watchman for a lumber company that logs timber in a mysterious forest swamp called the Limberlost.

©1916 Gene Stratton Porter (P)1985 Books in Motion

Fantastic story. Poor performance.

I have loved this book since I was a kid. I have nothing but praise for the story. The performance left much to be desired. Even when the text describes “lilting brogue” or “cried with anguish” each line is delivered in the same monotone way. The burly Scotsman’s lines were read just like the 16 year old girl’s. *But* if you can fill in the emotion in your own mind as you would when you were reading from the book, I cannot recommend this story highly enough. Or find a better performance of it.

great book

This is the best audio book ever!I really enjoyed it. Recommendated read.My top favorite book

A Beautiful, Old Fashioned Tale

Written around 1904, this is a story of noble heart and good character during a time when love was pure and honor meant more than life.

Freckles is a young man with only one hand who had been raised in an orphanage with no idea of who his parents were. He had gone through life consumed with the thought that his mother had cut off his hand and then abandoned him. Hungry and lonesome, he comes into a lumber camp in the “Limberlost,” a section of prime woods in rural Indiana, and applies for the job of watchman. The owner hires him without even looking at his missing hand, and thus begins a tale of honor and true love and Freckles grows into a man.

Alone in the Limberlost, Freckles faces fears and dangers but refuses to quit as this is the only job he has and he desires to belong. Finally he discovers the beauty of the place and learns to love it and the creatures that live there. He is hired to protect the forest and does his best to do just that. In a clearing he creates a beautiful “garden” and one day takes his “Swamp Angel” to it. She falls in love with him but he refuses to allow himself to even consider it because he has no notion of his birth. She sets out to find out the truth.

This is a beautiful story but is written in old fashioned terms and manner. It is a classic in literature.

Voice actor seemed somewhat emotionless

I enjoyed the book but the voice actor didn’t have much inflection in their voice. It was a great read for a pre-teen. I would say the content in the story was great so the story was a good five stars but the voice actor was somewhat decent so two stars

Endearing

A beautiful and refreshing break from a modern concrete jungle. Reminiscent of the scripture, "Beauty from ashes".

Fun read!

I fell in love with Freckles, the angel, and the whole Limberlost gang. Fun read!

Doesn't get better!

Gene Stratton-Porter is our favorite with the kids to travel with. She makes for very peaceful trips! We just wish she would have written more books!

Read with passion and nice voices.

Was great to listen to during our family's long winter evenings. We've loved the story of Freckles for years, but this recording made it easier for the younger ones to enjoy it as well.

Great story of overcoming adversity

Love to read about people overcoming adversity through goodness and honor. Wish they made TV shows about these sorts of people.

tear jerking, poor narration

My disappointment is that the narrator reads like a competent mother or teacher to her children. I would have preferred an actor to read this who could have honored Freckles great language and Irish brogue, voiced the Angel and the other characters.

The story was beautiful and well rounded--continuing through to the end of the tale where other authors would have dropped the reader. My only criticism is that I think Freckles should have been closer to 17-18 rather than 20. I understand his background intimidated him and made him more innocent than the average boy, but I felt his reactions to Angel were a little too naive.

Loved the book. Highly recommended!