Pollyanna

Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter's 1913 novel, follows an orphaned girl who turns a gloomy New England town upside down with one simple game.

Pollyanna Whittier arrives in the small town of Beldingsville, Vermont, with almost nothing but a trunk of old clothes and a habit her late father taught her. It is called the glad game: whatever happens, you find one thing about it to be glad for, even when that takes some searching. Her only living relative, the stern and dutiful Aunt Polly, takes her in out of obligation rather than affection and puts her in a bare attic room. Pollyanna is undeterred.

Bit by bit, her cheerful outlook works its way through the whole town. A bitter recluse, a hypochondriac shut-in, and a housekeeper worn down by years of complaints all find themselves drawn out by her company, and even Aunt Polly's cold manner begins to soften. Then an accident leaves Pollyanna unable to walk, and for the first time she cannot think of a single thing to be glad about. It falls to the town she has quietly changed to remind her how much good she has done.

This is a gentle coming-of-age story about grief, kindness, and the choice to look for the good in hard circumstances, without ever tipping into sentimentality. It sits alongside other turn-of-the-century orphan classics like Anne of Green Gables, and it's a natural pick for listeners who like old-fashioned, character-driven stories with real heart.

Andrew Bond's unhurried, calming voice suits Pollyanna's steady cheer — the kind of story that settles your thoughts instead of stirring them. Let the glad game carry you along, one small kindness at a time, until you doze off before the town's troubles are through.