Writing
10-year-old Rebecca Randall moves from her impoverished family's farm to live with her two maiden aunts—Miranda and Jane—in the small town of Riverboro, Maine. Her imagination and spirit wins over the community as she comes of age, leading to personal growth, friendship and eventual success.
Behind in the mortgage on Sunnybrook Farm and barely managing to feed seven hungry mouths, mother sends young Rebecca off to Riverboro to be raised by her wealthy Aunt Miranda. The little girl is treated like a prisoner by her strict Aunt, yet she gamely does her best to get an education. When spoiled girls at school mock the spirited Rebecca as "missy poor-house," she soon makes them come to eat their words. Despite many difficulties, Rebecca manages to help the less fortunate and spread joy in Riverboro, dreaming that her reward will come when she is "all growed up." This version is notable for having been adapted by famed female screenwriter Frances Marion.
Helena Richie leaves her drunken husband, who had killed their child, and goes to Old Chester in Pennsylvania with her friend Lloyd Pryor. Helena adopts a homeless boy, David, who had been a ward of the town's minister, Dr. Lavendar. Helena's true husband dies, but Lloyd Pryor, now tired of Helena, refuses to marry her. Helena confesses to the minister about her actual relationship with Pryor, and Dr. Lavendar forces her to give up her son. Helena agrees, certain that she is an unfit mother. Helena pleads her case and fights for her maternal rights.
A better life is to begin for street child Anna in the mountain wasteland of all places. Where psychiatry and youth welfare services fail, only the experience of one's own limits can help, according to the mission of the unconventional educator Geena. On her mountain farm, she wants to reawaken a feeling for the existentially important things in life in her protégé through clear rules and daily work on the mountain pasture. But the unruly and disturbed girl has little faith in herself and the suffering she has experienced has left deep wounds in her childish soul...
Georgiana Chadbourne is a young widow. Her dead husband was such a straight arrow that it bored her, and after a proper enough mourning period, she goes out in search of adventure. She gets in trouble for picking flowers in Central Park, but is rescued by Jack Garrison, who she mistakes for an artistic, bohemian type of character.
Soon after Pauline D'Arcy, an untutored country girl from the Northwest, is left destitute by the death of her father, she falls in love with a middle-aged married man, John Adams, whose alias is Abbott. Although never intending to marry her, Abbott promises to send Pauline to college. During her studies, she falls in love with her lover's son Richard, while at the same time establishing a literary career. She anonymously publishes a novel based on her experiences and it becomes a best seller.
A young girl from Sunnybrook goes to live with her wealthy relatives and falls in love with a doctor. Adapted from Kate Douglas Wiggin's famous novel.
