Gene Stratton Porter Books In Order

Publication Order of Limberlost Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Poetry Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Gene Stratton Porter was an American author who was born in 1863 and died in 1924. A photographer and naturalist, Gene was among the first women to form a movie studio and production company.

Her novels were bestsellers and her magazine columns where always well received. She used the resources at her disposal, all the money she earned as a writer and status she garnered, to promote the conservation of Wetlands in the State of Indiana.

+Biography

Gene Stratton Porter was born in Wabash County, Indiana. The last born of Mary and Mark Stratton’s 12 children, Gene married Charles Dorwin Porter in 1886. Charles was the child of a doctor.

As such, his decision to become a pharmacist wasn’t much of a surprise. The couple, who had one daughter (Jeannette), was very well off because of all the stores Charles owned around Indiana. It eventually became necessary to move to Geneva in order to be closer to Charles’ business.

So they built a large home in Geneva. Gene spent a lot of time exploring Limberlost swamp, the location of her most popular novels. Eventually attracting the names ‘Bird Lady’ and ‘Lady of Limberlost’, Gene opposed the draining of Limberlost Swamp.

The area eventually became farmland, and Gene used her failure to protect Limberlost Swamp to drive her efforts in using the profits of her novels to promote the conservation of the State’s wetlands.

Gene Stratton Porter would eventually move to Los Angeles in search of a better social and environmental climate. A serious illness she battled in 1919 also factored into her decision to make the move.

She soon found that Movie Studios were doing a poor job of translating her novels. In an effort to acquire more creative control over the movie adaptations of her works, Gene created Gene Stratton Porter productions.

She used her studio to adapt her novels. In 1923, she made her move to California permanent. Her life came to an end at the age of 61, when a streetcar hit her car while she was on her way to visit her brother, Jerome.

Gene used her experiences in many of the books she wrote. Laddie, in particular, was very autobiographical in nature for Gene Stratton Porter, many of the events in the book correlating with things that happened in her life.

Outside of her novels, Gene also had a passion for wildlife photography. She especially loved the birds and moths she found in the Limberlost Swamp.

Gene was primarily interested in producing nature books; however, it wasn’t until she began writing romance that she gained fame and fortune. Her romance novels were eventually translated into dozens of languages, including Braille.

Her ability to incorporate daily occurrences earned Gene tens of millions of readers from across the world. Her work typically reflected the sentiment of the day.

One of her more popular novels, A Girl of the Limberlost, had four movies made of it, this including a silent film back in 1924.

The Keeper of the Bees was also adapted for film on a number of occasions. Her Granddaughter, Gene Stratton Monroe, actually starred in a version of The Keeper of Bees in 1925.

Gene Stratton Porter’s legacy has thrived throughout the generations. Two of her residences became Indiana State Historic Sites. A Purdue University Calumet campus building bears her name.

She was also inducted into the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2009.

+Freckles

The Wild Swampland of Limberlost is both the most frightening place in the country and also the most beautiful. A tender love story begins to unfold in this most unique of settings where Freckles, a red-haired hero, does battle against cruel villains in an effort to win the angel of his dreams.

This is a basic coming of age story. And, considering the fact that it was written in 1904, Freckles is definitely dated by any individual’s standards. That being said, this book is a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for a unique reading experience.

On the surface, you have a typical coming of age story intertwined with a love story. However, what sets it apart are the stark culture differences between the time it was written and the present day, cultural differences that are difficult to ignore.

The divide between the classes was quite vast back then, so much so that lower class individuals were discouraged from even thinking about marrying high-class partners.

Additionally, good manners and ethics were highly prized, treated like something you could inherit, even if you were abandoned as a child and never knew your high-class parents.

The comparison between cultures makes this a very insightful read that will only impress those who approach it like intellectually relevant material.

Otherwise, Freckles is just an okay novel. The story follows an orphan with a miserable childhood called Freckles who grew up to become an honorable young man. Some people might take offense with the final message of this book.

+A Girl of the Limberlost

Elnora Cornstock has spent most of her life suffering the harassment of her mother and her peers, with her only source of solace being the beauty found in nature, this along with romance and friendship.

Gene Stratton Porter makes a number of astute observations about nature as well as the difficulties that growing up in the 20th century presents.

This is one of those hidden classics few people have had the pleasure of discovering. It is an engrossing coming-of-age story that tackles redemption and romance in rural Indiana.

While the book looks like it might appeal more to adolescent girls who can relate to Elnora’s situation, this Gene Stratton Porter book can keep any reader entertained. Readers have a chance to follow Elnora as she triumphs over all kinds of adversities, showing the importance of integrity and hard work.

Opinions on Elnora will sometimes vary. Some people think she is too much of a Mary Sue. She is someone you are supposed to aspire to, what with her big heart, generosity and determination to persevere regardless of the challenge.

Maybe she is a little too noble for some readers, but Elnora, thankfully, isn’t so preachy and saintly as to turn all readers completely off.

4 Responses to “Gene Stratton Porter”

1. Judith Fenske: 2 years ago

   I own 10 of Gene Stratton-Porter books.
   My birth year is 1943.
   I purchased each book from a little bookstore in Walden, NY
   In the 1950. I still have them. Reread each winter.
   I am looking for a copy of the
   “Bird Woman”, a huge book
   (Usually called a coffee table book) on her photos taken in the limberlost forest. Please,
   if you have information about
   Where I could locate one , I would be very appreciative.
   Thank you.
   Judith Fenske

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     ebay might be your best bet

     Reply
   • Trish: 2 years ago

     Judith, can you give any further information you have on the book ‘Bird Woman’? I would also like to obtain it. Did you try eBay? I have a considerable number of her books but have never seen anything on ‘Bird Woman’. Is it by her or did someone else compile her photographs and publish it. Thanks for enjoying Gene as much as I do, Trish

     Reply
2. Eileen Cooper Detloff: 4 years ago

   Albeit… a wonderful study of perseverance of the young, but Eleanor’s mother, Katherine Comstock, is the one I remember the most. I read these books because my mother (dob 1906) had read them as a girl and recommended them. Eleanor is wonderful. But her mother, embittered & hardened by life…enacted a very personal and painful infliction to her own flesh for the sake of her child. I will never forget it. In fact, I think it shaped my life forever.

   Reply