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:

“Daddy Long Legs” is a 1912 epistolary novel by American writer Jean Webster. Whether or not you like a novel told through letters (and sometimes diaries and bits of written detritis), this is a wonderful book. I read it several times as a teenager and found it to be a magical tale of growing up and falling in love.

It is the story of an orphan who has a guardian who chooses to keep his identity secret, but who befriends her and pays for a quality education. You may remember the beautiful Fred Astaire movie with Leslie Caron. The book is more than satisfying!

‘Sit down, Jerusha, I have something to say to you.’ Jerusha dropped into the nearest chair and waited with a touch of breathlessness.

An automobile flashed past the window; Mrs. Lippett glanced after it.

‘Did you notice the gentleman who has just gone?’ ‘I saw his back.’ ‘He is one of our most affluential Trustees, and has given large sums of money towards the asylum’s support. I am not at liberty to mention his name; he expressly stipulated that he was to remain unknown.’

Jerusha’s eyes widened slightly; she was not accustomed to being summoned to the office to discuss the eccentricities of Trustees with the matron.

It gets better, she is going to be sent to college to become . . . a writer! And so the form is set and the rest of the book continues in letters:

. . .three things that I know:

I. You are tall.

II. You are rich

III. You hate girls.

I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that’s rather insulting to me. Or Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that’s insulting to you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Besides, being rich is such a very external quality. Maybe you won’t stay rich all your life; lots of very clever men get smashed up in Wall Street. But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I’ve decided to call you Dear Daddy-Long-Legs. I hope you won’t mind.

And so it goes! This is a short novel and a great summer read!

Click here to get your free copy of Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster >>