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IHS Press Announces Release of Nature’s Storyteller: The Life of Gene Stratton-Porter
Indianapolis— The Indiana Historical Society Press is proud to announce the release of Nature’s Storyteller: The Life of Gene Stratton-Porter. Written by journalist and author Barbara Olenyik Morrow, this biography suitable for young adult readers examines the life of a Hoosier author inspired by the beauty and wonder of nature.
As a young girl growing up in the 1860s on a Wabash County, Ind., farm, Geneva Grace Stratton received a wondrous gift from her father, who had noticed his daughter’s love for nature and wildlife. He declared that all birds on the farm belonged to her, and she was to become their protector.
From these early beginnings, Gene Stratton-Porter found a purpose for her life—sharing the outdoors with others through writing and photography, and working to conserve nature. By the time she died at age 61, Stratton-Porter was one of the country’s best-known authors. She had a following of 50 million readers worldwide, and hundreds of copies of her novels and nature books were sold each day.
The book examines Stratton-Porter’s early life, from her exploration of the treacherous Limberlost Swamp in northeastern Indiana to her development as an enormously popular writer. Upon her death, caused from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Dec. 6, 1924, she was saluted by conservationists who were grateful for her passionate pleas on behalf of the environment.
About the Author
Barbara Olenyik Morrow is a journalist, author and Pulitzer Prize finalist for editorial writing. Her two children’s picture books, A Good Night for Freedom and Mr. Mosquito Put on His Tuxedo, have been praised by reviewers and garnered awards, including one from Friends of American Writers, an organization that honors emerging Midwestern authors. Morrow’s other books include From Ben-Hur to Sister Carrie, in which she profiles five Hoosier writers who lived and worked during Indiana’s golden age of literature. Her first book, Those Cars of Auburn, highlights the rich automotive heritage of Auburn, Ind., where she resides.
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Title: Nature’s Storyteller: The Life of Gene Stratton-Porter
Illustrations: black-and-white illustrations
Price: $17.95
Pages: 150
Size: 7 x 8 ½
Cover: Cloth
Publication Date: November 2010
ISBN: 978-0-87195-284-4
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Indiana Historical Society
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
