In Apple-Blossom Time: A Fairy-Tale to Date

"In Apple-Blossom Time: A Fairy-Tale to Date" by Clara Louise Burnham is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around a young girl named Geraldine Melody, who, after the death of her father and abandonment by her stepmother, finds herself navigating difficult circumstances. As Geraldine takes refuge with the Carders on their farm, she encounters the unsettling Rufus Carder and the hard life that comes with her new home. The opening of the narrative introduces us to Miss Mehitable Upton, a kind-hearted shopkeeper who serendipitously meets Geraldine in a restaurant. As they talk, Geraldine reveals her tragic backstory of losing her father and being left to fend for herself by her unsympathetic stepmother. Miss Upton takes an interest in Geraldine's plight and, despite the presence of the boorish Rufus Carder, she allows herself to be drawn into the girl's story. We get a glimpse of Geraldine’s lingering sadness and the challenges ahead as she arrives at the Carder’s farm, where her safety and future seem uncertain amidst harsh realities and potential dangers. The tension between the vibrant hopes for her future and the grim prospects presented by her surroundings forms a gripping backdrop for the unfolding tale. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Clara Louise Burnham was an American novelist. After the success of No Gentlemen (1881), other books followed, including A Sane Lunatic (1882), Dearly Bought (1884), Next Door (1886), Young Maids and Old (1888), The Mistress of Beech Knoll (1890), and Miss Bagg's Secretary (1892). The daughter of George Frederick Root, she wrote the text for several his most successful cantatas. The 1923 film, A Chapter in Her Life is based on Burnham's 1903 novel Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life. Born in Massachusetts, she died at the family home in Maine in 1927.