One of the most beloved characters of the early-twentieth-century from the American naturalist and bestselling author of A Girl of the Limberlost . Raised in a Chicago orphanage and missing one hand, Freckles has survived a harsh childhood. When he becomes a security guard for a timber company in Indiana's Limberlost swamp, he comes to embrace the beauty of the wilderness and the many animals he encounters on his daily rounds, finally finding his place in the world and the courage to open his heart. One of the most well-known authors of her time, Gene Stratton-Porter was a nature activist whose novels reflected her love of the Indiana wetlands she called home. "There's a love story, villains, adventure, close brushes with death, and absolute redemption at the end—and Freckles learns the secret of his paternity, which given the romantic conventions of books such as these, is absolutely glorious." —Buckeye Muse