I had never read or heard of Stratton-Porter before requesting this title from Netgalley and I have to say I was surprised by it.

I now know that this novel is considered a classic of its time and I kept that in mind as I read it. I found some of the content a little troubling (I wasn't a fan of all the swearing) but overall it was an interesting historical depiction of disability and the way in which those with physical differences were made to feel at the time.

I know this is a classic, but I could not get in to the story. It was very descriptive, but I was looking for a little more action and I did not finish the book.

You can really tell Gene’s love of plants and birds through her writing. She is so careful and thorough with her descriptions. Unfortunately, I’m not the naturalist she was and found the details a bit boring.
Once I got past that part, the first large section of the book, the pace picked up a bit. The first conflict was quite interesting. It was believable and well done. The second conflict, climax, wasn’t nearly as good. Maybe, it was the incredibly rushed timeline or the incredible string of coincidences that gave the ending a contrived feeling. Either way, I didn’t like this book nearly as well as I remember liking <i> The Girl of the Limberlost</i>.
I was surprised by the swearing. The plot and the characters make it a book for older children or teens, but the language was unnecessarily foul for any age group.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Dover Publications. No review was required.