This starts off in pathos porn mode. Elnora, neglected by a mother in severe grieving mode, endures some humiliation at school - wrong clothes, no books, no orientation. It's very easy to get on Elnora's side and want her to succeed and to appreciate her love of nature.But while it's an enjoyable book, it's on the edge of didactic, with heaps of fervent passages on the glory of nature as an expression of God. And the wonder which is Elnora.Rarely have I seen so many virtues crammed on one girl's head - nor so many characters so ready to tell us how wonderful she is. The book becomes an illustration of being "the right kind of woman" - intelligent, hard working, learned, kind, self-abnegating - and ready to devote herself to supporting her man.There are also a lot of references to characters from a previous book, with no explanation, which is a little confusing.
