• This edition includes the following editor’s introduction: The naturalist and conservationist side of Gene Stratton-Porter

Originally published in 1904, “Freckles” is a novel written by the American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter. The novel is primarily set in the Limberlost Swamp area of Indiana, with brief scenes set in Chicago. The title character also appears briefly in Porter’s “A Girl of the Limberlost, ” second book of the Limberlost series.
As a clear reflection of Stratton-Porter’s naturalistic vision, “Freckles” is marked by its frequent, detailed, and loving descriptions of the flora and fauna of the wilderness through the eyes of its innocent protagonist.
Freckles is a nameless, one-armed orphan who is too old to live in the state home any longer. When he shows up at a logging camp, thin and ragged and looking for employment, the tough and rugged loggers immediately dismiss him. But the Boss sees something special in Freckles and agrees to give him a job guarding a plot of valuable swampland rich in lumber. Determined to show his gratitude, Freckles risks life and limb to protect the trees and prove his worth to the Boss. While fighting off rattlesnakes, thieves, and loneliness, his kindness and character touch the hearts of the people and animals he meets. In the middle of the Indiana Limberlost, will Freckles find the love and answers to his past that he has always been missing?