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13th out of 35 books
—
11 voters
Her Father's Daughter
1921. Stratton-Porter was an American feminist, environmentalist, photographer and one of Indiana's most famous female authors. Many of her writings were moralistic and romantic novels. The popular author seems to have gone awry with this particular novel, which tells the story of two orphaned sisters (who it later turns out are not really sisters). The introductory paragr...more
Paperback
Published
December 1st 2006
by Echo Library
(first published 1921)
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Girl of the Limberlost was one of my favorite childhood books, but this one just finally drove me nuts. The author seemed too fond of Linda, and way too eager to show her off. Linda apparently gets the shorter end of the stick - she and her sister Eileen are orphaned four years before the plot, and because Eileen is older, she assumes the majority of their income as her own and leaves Linda in rags. It is easy to feel angry at this injustice, and proud of Linda for stepping up and asking for wh...more
Jun 14, 2009
carrie
added it
Russell and I were watching a thing on National Geographic about white supremacists, and it reminded me of this book. I absolutely loved Girl of the Limberlost and Laddie, so I looked for other stuff by this author. It was mostly the same stuff: nice girl, lots of plants, but there was this sub plot about how we have to keep the white race above all the others. I was horrified, but I couldn't stop reading. What an eye opener to the the thoughts of that time period. I also read a short story by L...more
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Like most Stratton-Porter fans, I discovered her talent with "The Girl of the Limberlost". Which, of course, is a wonderful and beautiful work of fiction. This story, however, is not one of her best. True, the racist comments against citizens of Japanese origin are a testament of the time in which this story was written (circa 1920's), but still the overall story lacked...well...everything a good story should have. The female protagonist never really grows as a person because everything seems to...more
Set in the bucolic rurality of Los Angeles County, circa 1920, Her Father’s Daughter is the tale of Linda Strong, a high school junior who struggles to get from under the thumb of her scheming, shallow sister Eileen. The author uses the conflict as a frame from which to wax poetic on the wonder of California nature, joy of automobiles and locally-grown foods, silliness of fashionable society… and – most unfortunately – the superiority of white people.
I could have brushed aside the lecturing on n...more
I could have brushed aside the lecturing on n...more
This is one of those books that makes me sad. Gene Stratton Porter was an excellent writer and naturalist. I enjoy most of her work. This book, though, reflects some of the worst prejudices of her time in its anti-Asian bias. I didn't enjoy reading it, but I don't want to forget about it either. It's important to remember that these attitudes existed. The prejudice demonstrated in this book, which was published in the early 1900s, foreshadows the attitudes that led to the internment of the Japan...more
Could be summed up, almost, by a line from The Scarlet Pimpernell--"Look how they buzz round her, like bees to honey".
The world of Lilac Valley revolves, entirely on it's axis, around the heroine, who is a socially conscious, top scholar, a published author/illustrator, a locally renowned chef, a sports car enthusiast, a nature expert, --oh, and a junior in high school! Of course she is wholly unspoiled by the world and completely undiscovered by it until one day a boy happens to notice her pra...more
The world of Lilac Valley revolves, entirely on it's axis, around the heroine, who is a socially conscious, top scholar, a published author/illustrator, a locally renowned chef, a sports car enthusiast, a nature expert, --oh, and a junior in high school! Of course she is wholly unspoiled by the world and completely undiscovered by it until one day a boy happens to notice her pra...more
While GSP is one of my favorite young-adult authors, this one suffers from being a product of the times. Most of the book is a great coming-of-age story, Cinderella-ish. Two adult sisters are orphaned, dealing with the loss of their father. The older is a spoiled brat. Our Heroine, of course, is the opposite. The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of California's natural flora, even with recipes of a sort. But there is an entire subplot that is entirely racist, about the evil Yellow Mena...more
If you want to read something by Gene Stratton Porter, read something else. The story is much like her others, but set in California instead of Indiana. There is a great deal of blatant racism, most against the Japanese, but also many references to the supremacy of the white race/blood. Even taking into account what the "normal view" might have been at this point in American history, it was over the top and made an otherwise good story unpleasant.
I have really loved all of Gene Stratton-Porter's other books that I have read, but this one really disturbed me. It is a sweet story of two orphaned sisters and their adventures. However, throughout the sweetness is interwoven a real plug for white-supremacy. I was SO disappointed, I don't know if these were common sentiments in the 1800's, but it seemed so out of character with the rest of her writings, I simply couldn't give it more than 2 stars.
This book was one of my mother in law's given to her in 1925. Finally got around to taking it off the shelf and reading it. When one considers when it was written, the incredibly racist comments can be tolerated. Other than that, it was enjoyable - about a "feminist" for her time coming of age and loving the outdoors, which I suppose women didn't do. Good description of plants in the wild, which was one of Gene Stratton-Porter's loves.
Times were indeed different back in the days of Gene Stratton-Porter but this book was far too racist and bigoted for me to be happy with. The book is one long lecture on how white people are superior than any other race, and not only that but other races are low and debased. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Too bad that I tarnished the happy memory of some of the better titles by the same author.
I love all of Gene Stratton-Porter's novels except this one. My mom, who read these novels as a young woman, got me started on them and I've enjoyed them thoroughly. However, I only gave this one two stars because of the blatant and widespread racism expressed by otherwise goodhearted characters of the book. Let me say also that the book was written after Pearl Harbor and I can certainly understand it was a common sentiment at the time, especially after the devasting loss of American lives. But...more
I loved Girl of the Limberlost and was eager to read another book by Gene. However, after reading a third of the novel, I can't force myself to go any further as it force feeds the reader white supremacist views. I tried to skip over the racist diatribes of Linda, the main character, but found that there was not much left of the book.
I have previously read other books by Gene Stratton Porter and I've always been impressed by her good sense, her reverence for God and nature and her common-sense approach to life. This book is all that, but I was surprised by the extreme racism she showed. I would never have imagined such sentiments coming from her.
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This book is an important book for my mother. She has wanted me to read it for over 30 years and for some reason, now, I'm not so interested in the book, as in interpreting her reaction to it. Just read chapter one, so will be able to say more later.
Hmmm...now that I've finished this book, I'm even more puzzled. I guess I'll have to just ask Mom what her interest in this book is.
This book is an important book for my mother. She has wanted me to read it for over 30 years and for some reason, now, I'm not so interested in the book, as in interpreting her reaction to it. Just read chapter one, so will be able to say more later.
Hmmm...now that I've finished this book, I'm even more puzzled. I guess I'll have to just ask Mom what her interest in this book is.
Her Father's Daughter *** A good story, well written, but is negatively impacted by the author's prejudice against Asians typical in the time the book was written. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two sisters and the younger one's coming of age is worth reading.
Another beautiful story by this author. There are a few things I can't agree with - like her opinion about self-made wealthy people and her ideas about the supremacy of white people. But, it's not enough of a distraction to ruin the story.
Racist references and idealogies clearly reflect the state of the nation and the world at that time. The Jane Meredith story line is marvelous - Stratton-Porter's knowledge of foodstuffs from the desert is extraordinary.
This was another gem by Gene Stratton Porter but I found the anti-Japanese (or any race except for white people) agenda to be over the top and annoying. If not for that, it would have been five stars.
Gene Stratton-Porter has such a great way of establishing wonderful characteristics in her people. Too bad we don't have more people like that in the world today.
This would have been better without the white-supremacist screed running throughout. At times this felt more like a lecture than a story.
Dec 05, 2009
Ruth
added it
How can I rate this? As a kid I read it over and over. Read again 40 years later I realized how racist it was. Horrors!
1 like · like · see review
The racist subplot of this book really disappointed me, and has to some degree ruined my enjoyment of her other books.
A person has to know about the hysteria during WWII to understand the prejudice in this book.
1 like · like · see review
How can you not like a book where the heroine drives a Stutz Bearcat?
Good book, though not as good as Girl of the Limberlost.
After helping her readers to fall in love with the woodlands of the Midwest, Porter set out to romance the deserts and canyons of southern California. This is a solid story with well- drawn characters, some mystery, and plenty of moral and ethical teaching, along with long naturalist passages--including recipes! All this is badly marred, however by the unfortunate (and common at the time) racism-- in this book directed against the Japanese. Porter's prose sings the glory of white supremacism in...more
I loved "Girl of the Limberlost" so I decided to try some of the author's other books. I liked the story well enough, but the author spends too much time talking about the wonder's of nature for my tastes, and she has some "interesting" and rather racist opinions. But if you chalk that up to the era it was written in and then ignore it the story is sweet.
Take out the totally racist parts about her interactions with the Japenese students at her school and this is nearly the best book I have ever read. Beautiful descriptions of indigenous plants and California ladnscapes and one of the first examples of a strong women that I would actually want to be like that I encountered in literature as a young girl.
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She was an American author, amateur naturalist, wildlife photographer, and one of the earliest women to form a movie studio and production company. She wrote some of the best selling novels and well-received columns in magazines of the day.
Born Geneva Grace Stratton in Wabash County, Indiana, she married Charles D. Porter in 1886, and they had one daughter, Jeannette.
She became a wildlife photogra...more
More about Gene Stratton-Porter...
Born Geneva Grace Stratton in Wabash County, Indiana, she married Charles D. Porter in 1886, and they had one daughter, Jeannette.
She became a wildlife photogra...more
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