Daddy Long Shadow

Author Name: Jean Webster

There is a unique appeal to stories starring orphans because it is true heroism when you go out into the world bare-chested, without a social system to support and protect you. It makes sense when we remember the most memorable childhood stories: Heidi, Annie, Tarzan, Sarah or Sally, Oliver Twist, Tom Sawyer, and even Harry Potter. These are the heroes through whom we learn to love life and to truly belong in the world, as Judy Abbott puts it.
Written in 1912, this novel has since been a source of inspiration for readers, writers, and artists alike. It has been repeatedly adapted into stage and musical productions, films, television series, and even a cartoon series. This novel tells the story of Judy Abbott, who was released from an orphanage after a guardian decided to sponsor her education. He noticed her exceptional talent for writing, particularly for rural writing, and her insistence on seeing happiness as a life choice, not a birthright.