Every Friday, Marilyn Knapp Litt, who blogs at ClassicKindle.com, brings us her recommendation of a free classic book to discover (or rediscover) on Kindle. Find more of Marilyn’s recommendations at her blog, ClassicKindle.com, a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the Kindle. You can also get Marilyn’s blog on Kindle and I recommend that you “Like” the Classic Kindle Facebook page as well so you don’t miss anything. Here’s Marilyn’s post:

At one time I had almost all of Grace Livingston Hill’s books and I have probably read all of her novels. She wrote dozens and dozens of romances. The ancient copies I had were the only books I have ever seen that had actually been eaten by bookworms. But it was so hard to find her books that I kept them and read around the holes!

These are old-fashioned romances, usually about someone meeting a partner across class boundaries. Her heroines are often naïve, but with great native intelligence. There is a strong religious theme to the books. Usually the heroine has a religious awakening along with falling in love.

I know a religious aspect is off-putting to some people. All I can say is I did not feel preached to. Maybe that is because the books are about old-fashioned girls from an earlier time. Here is an excerpt from today’s free classic book, The Girl from Montana:

At one stopping-place a good woman advised Elizabeth to rest on Sundays. She told her God didn’t like people to do the same on His day as on other days, and it would bring her bad luck if she kept up her incessant riding. It was bad for the horse too. So, the night being Saturday, Elizabeth remained with the woman over the Sabbath, and heard read aloud the fourteenth chapter of John. It was a wonderful revelation to her. She did not altogether understand it. In fact, the Bible was an unknown book. She had never known that it was different from other books. She had heard it spoken of by her mother, but only as a book. She did not know it was a book of books.

She carried the beautiful thoughts with her on the way, and pondered them. She wished she might have the book. She remembered the name of it, Bible, the Book of God. Then God had written a book! Some day she would try to find it and read it.

“Let not your heart be troubled”; so much of the message drifted into her lonesome, ignorant soul, and settled down to stay.

This is a typical judgment from one of Hill’s heroines:

Geraldine Loring was almost—well, fast, at least, as nearly so as one who was really of a fine old family, and still held her own in society, could be. She was beautiful as a picture; but her face, to Elizabeth’s mind, was lacking in fine feeling and intellect. A great pity went out from her heart to the man whose fate was in that doll-girl’s hands.

“Fast” is not good in Hill’s world and is an outdated condemnation to us. But clear eyes, keeping your word and having a will of steel is never out of fashion and that is why these are still enjoyable romances.

Download your free copy of “The Girl from Montana” here >>