Pollyanna

The American writer Eleanor Emily Hodgman Porter (1868–1920) was born in the village of Littleton, New Hampshire, into a pharmacist's family. The girl, like her mother, was fragile in health, which prevented her from attending public school; she was educated at home. From a young age, the future writer loved to compose stories and engage in music. In her youth, Eleanor graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music, sang in the church choir, and gave private music lessons. She only left music after the age of thirty when she fully immersed herself in literary activities. By that time, the girl had married a businessman from Boston, John Porter. Eleanor often accompanied her husband on his business trips. Ultimately, the couple settled in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, bringing along Eleanor's ailing mother. Porter spent the rest of her life in Cambridge, dedicating herself to her family and literature. Her childhood spent in the countryside influenced her creativity: the events of her works often unfold in secluded rural areas, and the characters lead a quiet, measured life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Although the couple had no children, Eleanor loved to write for young readers. At the beginning of the 20th century, her stories began appearing in newspapers and magazines, and in 1907 her first novel, "Cross Currents," was published. Porter's works were already in demand at that time, but true success came to her in 1911 after the publication of the novel "Miss Billy." Inspired by the warm feedback from readers, Porter wrote two more books about Miss Billy's fate, and later, in 1913, another of her works about a heroine endowed with the ability to change the world for the better was published.

The novel "Pollyanna" tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl who constantly plays an amazing game of "glad game." Left without a father and mother, Pollyanna arrives at her only relative, Aunt Polly, whom she has never seen in her life. The girl will face the contradictory sides of human nature, gain new experiences, and accept important life changes. "Pollyanna" quickly gained fans in the USA and soon brought Eleanor Porter worldwide fame. Two years later, Porter wrote a new novel, "Pollyanna's Youth," in which the main character appears as an almost adult girl. Pollyanna's unquenchable love for life and inexhaustible inner strength continue to charm readers to this day. At the end of the 20th century, the term "Pollyanna principle" appeared in psychology, and in Littleton, the writer's hometown, a monument to her heroine was erected in 2002. In this edition, the novels about the cheerful girl are adorned with bright colorful illustrations, initials, and design elements created by the contemporary artist Natalia Valentinovna Chuvashova.