A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter was published in 1919. At first, that was a major turnoff. The language was funny, and some of the ideas were strange.
The plot, however, was great. It starts with a girl named Elnora (example of how it really was written in 1919!), and she lives with her mom. Her dad drowned in a swampy pond next to their house, and since his death, her mom, Kate, has fallen apart. Elnora's life is full of neglect, no mother, and poverty. They live in a great big house, but the taxes are big and they have no cash for extras. Elnora wants to break away and go to school in town. She collects moths, and this turns into a major plot point.
The book is long, and the author takes plenty of time to develop the story. At first, the book was slow moving, as it just illustrated Elnora's life. As more things started to happen, the book turned for the better.
How did the book turn for the better? How are moths related to the novel or turn into a plot point? Are the moths supposed to symbolize something or does it just move along the plot? It sounds like an interesting novel and I am interested why the author would write it.
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