She wrote to him when she failed,
She wrote to him when she got fame,
Such was her relation with Daddy-Long-Legs
Judy Abbott was her new name.
About the Author: Jean Webster was a politically and socially active lady and the authoress of many books. Her sense of humour reflected well in her books. She mainly wrote stories that had a lively and enterprising lady protagonist.
Story: 18 year old Jerusha Abbott was the eldest orphan at John Grier Home orphanage. All petty responsibilities of the kids at the orphanage rested on her tender shoulders. Taking care of them, feeding them, bathing them, and stitching their torn clothes formed a part of her daily routine. She devoted the time that was left after her chores to her passions- literature and writing. Being an intelligent student, she completed her primary education successfully.
One fine day, her routine life undergoes a surprising change when an unknown trustee of the orphanage offers to pay for her college education after getting fascinated by one of her essays! He promises that he would send her a liberal monthly allowance. He insists on being anonymous, and his only condition is that Jerusha should send monthly letters to him addressed to a fictional name- John Smith. According to their unwritten pact, he would never write back to her or maintain any communication with her.
What follows is an insight into Jerusha’s unexplored, fascinating world of college life through the letters that she writes to her unknown benefactor. She writes about her subjects, her teachers’ praise for her writing, her hostel life, her shopping, her friends and everything she would ever have written to her own father, had he been alive. Hence, she addresses him as ’Daddy-Long-Legs’ since she had seen his long shadow once while he was leaving the asylum. In due course, she changes her name to Judy Abbott since she thought ’Jerusha’ was very depressing. The matron at the orphanage had given her this name after stumbling upon a tombstone with the same name. Even though there is no reply from the other end, she has so much to write that the letters no longer remain monthly. She writes weekly or sometimes, daily!
Is her godfather someone familiar or a total stranger?
Positives: 1. As Judy learns in college, her English and her vocabulary improves. The gradual transition of her letters from being simple to using rich words is beautiful and seems to be deeply thought of by the author. Her descriptions of her stays at the country side during her vacations were a pleasure to read.
Judy has an admirable sense of humour that reflects in her letters. As a little example: It’s raining cats and dogs tonight. Two puppies and a kitten have just landed on the window-sill.
This was the first time that I came across a book where 95% of the story is in the form of letters written. The reader is gripped with the suspense of this stranger who is the protagonist in a way, yet has not conveyed a single word through mouth or pen. Yet, he has his own ways of let Judy know that he does read her letters.
Negatives: 1. The letters get downright tedious after a certain point. Come on, how long can anyone keep reading about new stockings, hats and dresses and their meticulous descriptions! If it’s boring enough for a girl to read, it would be irking for a guy! A few pages could have easily been trimmed.
Spoiler alert I can’t mention this low point without spilling some beans, but I would have loved the benefactor to remain a fatherly figure. Here, the daddy suddenly transforms into a boyfriend! It wasn’t shocking for Judy, but it was definitely a blow on my head! Spoiler alert ends
There is absolutely no explanation in the end from ‘Daddy-long-legs’ after he is revealed. Why he chose to remain anonymous, what was so fascinating in her essay that he chose to fund her education, what made him keep this condition of one-way communication though letters, how he felt about the letters, etc.
All in all, it’s a one time decent and different read. 3 positives and 3 negatives should justify 2.5 stars!