It is the diary of a six/seven year old girl, and the story of what happened to her when it was published when she was an adult, trying to become a published author. Both these parts are very moving.
I was struck by two things: was this the origin of the American study of Nature Journalling, which my friend had come across in home-ed circles; and the possible similarities with Emily Bronte. Little is known about Emily Bronte, and people speculate about her loner-ish-ness. Although I doubt Emily Bronte's mental condition was as unusual as Opal Whiteley's, I do notice connections. As Emily died aged thirty, we do not know how her life would have developed.
Or perhaps I am just playing Opal's game of comparer. This was one of the naturalist's study methods she used to observe things closely. For example, she would take a selection of seeds, and compare them, in order to note all their qualities. This is the sort of thing Nature Journalling is used for now, to teach observation.
All in all, an interesting read.
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