I am reading Daddy Long-Legs.

[snarp]

Man, I see now why this book is so popular in Japan. It is everything that is wrong with shoujo manga.

Comments

[vass]

The central romance is... um, yeah. But I really love how for a character in a girls' school/romance book of that time period, Judy is allowed to be so angry and hurt and defiant, even as a basically happy person. It makes up for a lot.

Edited to add: wait til you get to Dear Enemy and the horrifying eugenics.

[snarp]

I don't know if I want to read that, unless they get a divorce because she's figured out relationships with controlling liars are a bad idea.

[vass]

She hasn't, but she isn't the protagonist. She and Jervis are off happily travelling the world and having a baby, and they've left Sallie McBride in charge of the John Grier Home, with the general instruction FIX IT, FIX EVERYTHING ABOUT IT NOW. Sallie's love story is of the form "marry the guy who likes you the way you were as a young adult, or marry the guy who likes the person you're maturing into."

With lots about the politics of trying to push through massive reform as a woman, and whether her female employees should get paid (like, at all) and families vs institutions and trying to interest businesses and individuals in donating to them. Which is the part that interests me.