Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

genre: young adult fiction

Judy is an orphan, raised in an asylum at the whim of the trustees, accustomed to doing without.   Spunky and clever, one of the trustees takes notice of her and decides to sponsor her college education - with two stipulations.  That 1. she not know who he is and 2. she write him regular letters updating him on her progress. Thus commences Judy's life outside the asylum - and what a life it is!  Judy revels in everything because everything is new.  Her letters paint for her "Daddy-Long-Legs" a picture of life at an all-girls college, rife with Latin and the sciences, pranks and theatricals, boys and best girl friends.  As much as she loves to confide in her sponsor, she is, of course, desperate to know who he is!

Five glowing stars from me just for the delight alone.  Judy's voice is charismatic and joyful, she feels things deeply and even when she's despondent, somehow she even manages to convey her sadness with a touch of glee.  I really enjoyed that we only ever see things from her point of view - the author does an incredible job of filling us in with what we need to know without us ever feeling lost.  I finished just feeling happy, loving the times I spent following Judy through those impressionable years, watching her come into herself as a writer and as a woman. 

Fabulous.

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...