The Secret of the Storm Country

Storm Country #4

by Grace Miller White

Grace Miller White was an American author. Born Mary Esther Miller, she lived her whole life in Ithaca, New York. She adopted the name Grace around 1897, in memory of a younger sister who had died before reaching her first birthday.

Genres: Classics

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1917

About the author

Grace Miller White (1868–1957) was an American authoress. Born Mary Esther Miller, she lived her whole life in Ithaca, New York. She adopted the name Grace around 1897, in memory of a younger sister who had died before reaching her first birthday. She married twice, first to Homer White, and then to Friend H. Miller.

She began her writing career novelizing plays, before turning her hand to novels in 1909. Several of her books were adapted for the big screen, most notably Tess of the Storm Country, which has been filmed on four separate occasions between 1914 and 1960.

Reviews

[Russell Posegate]

Sequel to Tess of the Storm Country. Equal in quality and enjoyment. 2 stars with a bonus for the local name-checks.

[Hanna]

My motivation to read this book lay primarily in the copy's 1917 copyright date. I didn't know the content of the book or identity of the author; I knew only (from the cover) that the book was a sequel (and I hoped it didn't matter too much). Well, the sequel-nature did matter, but I learned to love the lovable characters just as easily, and felt quite satisfied with the plot and how the story concluded.

Setting: At a squatters' camp along Cayuga Lake, near Ithaca, New York. Written in 1916, it's a contemporaneous story, without automobiles, and with the stark contrast of rich and poor. The threat of Auburn Prison (also a relatively nearby location), the disgust and hatred directed toward the squatters, and the harshness of Pharisaical church members each play a role in Tess's story. The setting is well-established at the outset, but the narrative focuses more on actions than on pages of vivid flowery descriptions. Still, the reader feels the severity of snowstorms, and sure knows the difference between the upstanding citizens' homes and the squatters' shacks.

Characters: Had I read Tess of the Storm Country, I probably would have already known who was good and who bad. At first I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to love Orn Skinner and Deforrest Young and Andy; or if I wasn't supposed to love the author for presenting sinful actions as good (escaping prison? squatting on someone else's land? accepting the superstitious old witch?), but by the end, I was glad to realize I could trust the authoress as she showed the truth-filled honest heart of Tess. I still don't approve of Mother Moll as the other squatters do; but I do appreciate the variety of characters (and their perspectives) from all walks of life, and I especially appreciate the portrayal of the formidable antagonist Ebenezer Waldstricker (even his hands are not stronger than God's!).

There is one character, who shall not be named, who decidedly deserves his neck wrung--perhaps all the more so, because I thought him (at first) one of the "good" characters. No, he is a worse wretch than even Waldstricker, and I could wish that he never existed in the story, except that he does create quite the contrast between true love and selfishness, of darkness and light.

Plot: Really quite involved with lots of troubles and trials, but all resolving rather well (i.e., not only returning in the last chapters, but also resolved mainly according to biblical principles). I would not call the story a romance (for reasons of the last paragraph above); if it were, I would consider it to end too abruptly. Several plot twists presented themselves, keeping this an exciting read, as well as a heart-wrenching one. The author spares no punches.

Faith Content: As I said before, I did not realize the author had a Christian perspective until the plot began playing itself out, and then I was surprised at the extent. Tess is a wonderful Christian girl and loves church. She trusts God for deliverance in many instances, and sings "Rescue the Perishing" to troubled souls. The power of the enemy is shown to be weaker than God, and this learned trust proves to be vital to the climax of the story. The cold, condemning judgment of the "Church" organization--a common portrayal of the church in the 20th century--is also represented, but as Tess and Deforrest Young are also members of the church, it is not a sweeping portrayal of those in that body (indeed, even the minister was shown to be more inclined to grace).

The climax of the story displays a brilliant representation of love and forgiveness, and its dangerous antithesis. Fervent prayer and peaceful trust in the Lord prove to be the tools that win out (along with truth).

There are some spiritually dubious (at best) parts to the story, notwithstanding the classic character of the witchcraft-performing-but-otherwise-capable old midwife: harboring a runaway (albeit innocent); keeping secrets to the detriment of everyone; specters of the dead reminding Tess of the truth; and an emphasis on grace and love to the exclusion of sin and justice. So, it's just a normal snapshot of early-1900s America!