Sparrows by Marie Coolidge-Rask and Winifred Dunn
"Sparrows" by Marie Coolidge-Rask and Winifred Dunn is a novelization of a photoplay written in the early 20th century. Set on a sinister, isolated hog farm bordered by a deadly bog, it follows the brave orphan Mollie and the thoughtful boy Stephen (“Splutters”) as they endure the cruelty of the monstrous farmer Peter Grimes and his family, clinging to faith and each other. The story centers on child exploitation, survival, and the
hope of rescue, with the sparrow motif underscoring divine care for the helpless. The opening of Sparrows shows Mollie leading a desperate band of children in sending a kite “prayer” for rescue before we learn the farm’s grim setup and Grimes’s origins. Mollie and Stephen arrive through deceit—a lost guardian arrangement and a kidnapping mix-up—and quickly face brutality, including Grimes nearly drowning Stephen until Mollie intervenes. Banished to the barn loft, the children hide when visitors come, labor in the fields, and navigate the fence, bell, and bog that trap them. New arrivals—Cynthy and her baby brother Buddy—heighten the peril: Buddy’s arm is broken in Grimes’s careless return, and by morning the baby has mysteriously vanished, leaving Mollie to comfort Cynthy as they keep working and watch the treacherous swamp that surrounds them. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Coolidge-Rask, Marie |
|---|---|
| Author | Dunn, Winifred, 1898-1977 |
| Title | Sparrows |
| Original Publication | New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1926. |
| Credits | Al Haines |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 82.8 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Swamps -- Fiction |
| Subject | Foster home care -- Fiction |
| Subject | Orphans -- Abuse of -- Fiction |
| Subject | Film novelizations |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 76294 |
| Release Date | Jun 14, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 162 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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